Second Chance
by WolfGirlAtHeart
Summary: Leah gets a second chance at happiness with Paul.  Rated M for language and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own these characters- they belong to Stephenie Meyer. This is my first attempt at fan fiction. Hope you enjoy it! Leave me some feedback below!  
**

_What the FUCK, Paul?_ I growled as I pushed his heavy paws off of my chest.

_You knocked the wind out of me, asshole. You know this is just training, right?_

_Ha ha ha. Well if you took it more seriously, Sam would back off and not make this training mandatory. But if you keeping fucking around, I'm gonna make it hurt. This is as annoying for me as it is for you, Leah._

_I fucking doubt it._

_Hey, ease up, you two. Now. _The double command from Alpha Sam-neither of us could ignore it.

Ever since Jake got hurt trying to "protect" me from that disgusting newborn, Sam had made daily fight training mandatory. Every day we were paired with a different partner and we had to practice for at least two hours before he was satisfied. It wasn't so bad when I got to train with Seth, my little brother, or even Embry or Quil. At least they made training fun. But being paired with Paul was a special kind of torture. He never eased up; he was always such a bastard. Even though I could outrun him any day, his power was undeniable and he would always find a way to get me on the ground. It was embarrassing to say the least. But mostly he was just infuriating.

It's not like it was easy being the only girl wolf in a pack full of bull-headed boys. I had to suffer through Sam leaving me for Emily, and now I was FOREVER subjected to his thoughts when I phased. Ugh, there aren't words to describe THAT special hell. But at least Sam understood enough to let me be and tried to keep his thoughts to himself when we were phased. Paul, on the other hand, was a fucking asshole every single day. His favorite game was "let's see what I can do to piss Leah off today" and on most days, it worked. He got under my skin like a mite and chewed away at my sanity until I freaked out and tried to rip his head off. But even though I didn't like to admit it, he was stronger than me and he would always pin me to the ground and laugh in my face.

And today was no exception. I took a deep breath and felt my lungs burn where Paul had stomped on me. It's a good thing I heal fast because the bruises that would cover my body surely would look suspicious to an outsider. I can just imagine trying to explain that to Social Services. "No, really, I'm not being abused. I just have a lot of older brothers and they play rough." Ha. I really wish there was a way out from this fucked up situation. Frozen in time, no aging, no changing, just stuck in La Push, always hounded by these boys, forced to relive the agony of Sam leaving me for my damn cousin every day.

When was it going to be MY turn? When was I going to have a chance to be "normal" or at least a little more female? I was really getting tired of being treated like a boy. I used to really enjoy being a girl. Doing my hair and nails, wearing dresses, dreaming about my wedding day and all that shit. Now I'm just frozen in time, forever forced to be "just one of the guys" and they wonder why I'm so damn bitter. They didn't have to give up anything. Well, no one did but Jake, but I'm not touching that mess right now.

_Leah, get up. We're going again._ Paul's growling voice in my head made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

_Fine, whatever, I'm up. Let's go._ Paul took off to the left, up the massive hill of evergreens and I bolted after him. I quickly caught up to him, but again he knocked me on my ass and I rolled down the hill, almost to the same spot where we had just been standing.

_Ow. Fuck this. I'm done._ _Sam, I need a break._

_Okay, Leah. That's enough for today._

I stood up and shook off the dirt and leaves that were sticking to me, walked behind a tree out of sight and phased back into my human form.

Almost before I had my t-shirt pulled over my head, Paul was standing in front of me with a huge asshole smirk smeared across his angular face. God, I really wanted to punch him right now, but I knew it wouldn't do me any good.

"Still can't handle me, huh, Leah? I told you I'd kick your ass. I don't care how fast you are." Paul crossed his huge arms across his chest and I spit on the ground in his direction.

"Fucking Neanderthal. You keep this shit up, I'll be shocked if you ever find a girl stupid enough to sleep with you." I pushed him out of my way and started walking back toward my house.

"With a mouth like that, you have about as much of a chance of finding someone as I do."

"Fuck off, Paul" I cursed over my shoulder, but something in Paul's expression made me turn around. I was still furious, but he looked like he needed to say something.

He took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. He never looked down. He was always the first one to phase and it took him forever just to deal with his anger enough to stop blowing out all of his clothes. God, he must have spent a fortune on t-shirts. But what the hell was he doing?

"Maybe if you opened your eyes, you'd see you've got a good thing right in front of you. Come on, Leah- let me take you out." Paul dropped his arms to his sides and held his palms up, symbolizing a truce.

"After you kicked the shit out of me? What kind of masochistic bitch do you think I am?" I started walking away from this insanely weird situation, begging for anyone to phase out and tell Paul to get away from me before I ripped his balls off.

"That's just training, Leah. Seriously, let's go get some food," Paul was actually pleading now. It was revolting. I actually gagged.

"You destroyed my appetite. Later." I picked up my pace into a slow jog, trying to get away from the uncomfortable situation of Paul being nice after he beat me repeatedly.

If I had a friend, I would call her right now. What the hell was Paul thinking? He had to know that the pack was going to find out he asked me out. What would Sam think? Ugh, why do I even give a shit what Sam would think. He left me for my _cousin_. This is really starting to get lonely. I can't talk to Seth about boys, even though he is the best little brother any girl could ask for, and he was always so upbeat about everything. Sometimes he made my heartache over Sam almost forgivable. Almost.

I guess I could call Emily, but Sam was probably home already and I _really_ didn't want to have to explain anything to him.

Fuck this. I need to do something- anything- to get out of my damned head. I looked at the clock- 7 pm on a Saturday. Where could I find girls my own age that would be willing to make a new friend? Oh wow, this is so embarrassingly desperate.

It's not that I was always such a loner. I used to have a lot of friends at school when Sam and I were together. I even participated in some after-school stuff, teaching younger kids how to speak and write Quileute. I was sunny, even. A lot like Seth is now. But ever since Sam left me for Emily, I pulled into myself a lot. I didn't realize how much I relied on him for my happiness. I know now that it probably wasn't a healthy relationship, but that didn't make it hurt any less. After I phased, any chance at an outside friendship was nearly impossible. I couldn't tell anyone about it, and we were always running the border, checking for those wretched leeches, strategizing and training. I only slept about 4 hours a night, and I often found myself passed out on the couch in all of my clothes with the TV still on. I was having a hard time finding a job doing anything, mostly because I never knew when I'd be around to work. I managed to make a few bucks here and there doing some chores for the older tribe members, but even that wasn't on a regular basis. It's not like it helped me meet any people my own age, either.

Whatever. I need to get out of here, even if it's only for a few hours. I scribbled a note for Mom and Seth, "I took the car. I'm headed into Forks for a little while. Just need to clear my head. XO Leah"

I opened my closet to find something that didn't make me look like I just rolled out of a ditch (because, honestly, I sort of just did). I threw on a pair of worn in jeans, a turquoise colored t-shirt, and my black flats. I ran a brush through my short hair (God, I missed my hair) and smeared a little lip gloss on my lips. I tried to crack a smile in the mirror that didn't make me look like a homicidal maniac, but it wasn't easy. I guess I just did furious better than any other emotion these days. I shook my head at my reflection, grabbed the keys to the beat up old Lincoln and hopped to the door.

I was actually feeling good about myself for about two seconds when I looked up at the car and saw exactly who I did not want to see leaning against the hood of my car with a huge smirk on his asshole face. Paul. What. The. Fuck.

"Hey…um…damn, Leah…you look…hot," Paul stumbled over every word that he tried to speak. This dude was certifiable.

"Whatever, Paul. Get your ass off my car," I spat back. I wondered for a second where he managed to find a clean shirt and a pair of jeans that weren't covered in dirt. I crossed my arms across my chest and waited for him to move. He didn't. But he wasn't looking me in the eye again, and that had me freaking out a little bit.

"Leah, um, well, I, um, I just thought, um…" He was seriously having some kind of brain fart. I had never seen him sweat like this. I also never noticed how perfect his cheekbones cut across his face- or how his brow furrowed in concentration. What the hell was I thinking? This is Paul, Leah. Remember? He's the same guy who threw you down a mountain a few short hours ago.

"Spit it out, Paul. I want to go out," I was in no mood to stand here and watch him fumble all over himself.

"Where you going? Why don't I go with you?" He finally managed to form a complete thought, and I still wanted to kick him in the shins for making me stand here when I wanted to go. Now.

"Jesus, Paul, I'm going into Forks. I just need a break from the Rez for a few hours." I can't believe I just gave in and told him that. Where was the gall, Leah?

"Well take me with you. I really want to talk to you," the words rushed out of Paul so fast it was as if they were burning his tongue and he couldn't spit them out fast enough.

"You know what, fine. Get in. I'm so tired of fighting." I guess if you are going to give in, Paul isn't the worst option. Damn near, but still, not the worst. And against my better judgment, I couldn't help but notice how his shirt hugged the muscles across his chest just right. Gah, what was he doing to my brain?

Paul leapt at the chance and was in the passenger seat of the Lincoln before I could even get to the driver's side.

"What the hell is up with you, Paul? Are you okay?" Why was I asking? Why did I even care?

"Yeah, it's just, I've been trying to talk to you alone all day and I just don't know where to even start," again, so fast I could barely understand him.

"Well, why don't you just keep it to yourself for a few minutes? We are going to the diner. And if you are making me take you, you're paying for both of us." There you are, Leah. Hold your own. Don't let him break you so easily.

"Sure, of course. I'll shut up now." Then, he actually stopped talking. I was shocked. Paul never listened to me. Never, not once in all these months together, hating each other, fighting and battling, did he ever listen to me when I asked for something.

What the hell was happening? Did I even want to know? I shook my head and turned up the radio.

_I can keep secrets that I know that you want me  
You could dig your nails into my skin and you won't stop me  
You could twist and scream into the air but no one can hear you here _

The Bravery shouted out the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, but when I realized who was sitting next to me, I quickly changed the station. Those lyrics were a little too hardcore for a night out with Paul. Or maybe they weren't. I shook my head trying to stop those weird thoughts from creeping in and silently thanked God that Paul couldn't read my mind when we weren't phased.

We got to the diner in about ten minutes, and it was jumping for Forks. Jumping meaning there were about twenty people in the whole place, including the wait staff and the cooks. I chose a booth in the corner away from the other customers and Paul slid in the bench seat across from me. He still wasn't looking me in the eye, and it was starting to freak me out.

"Paul, why won't you look at me?" I asked, trying to sound tough, but it came out with way too much anxiety and I sounded like a nervous girlfriend. There it goes again! Shut it, brain, or heart, whatever it is that keeps noticing Paul's perfect mouth and gorgeous, smooth, brown skin.

"I'm sorry, Leah. It's just-"

"Hi, I'm Liz. What can I get you two tonight?" The waitress cut Paul off and I was secretly glad that he seemed so nervous. Served him right for all those times he really hurt me during training.

"I'll have a coke and a bacon cheeseburger-medium-with fries." I didn't even have to look at the menu. The diner made a great burger.

"And for you, sir?"

I chuckled when the waitress called Paul "sir." I couldn't help myself.

"I'll have the same." I tilted my head and looked at him again. His eyes sparkled in the harsh diner lights and his mouth curved up at the corners like he was laughing at his own private joke. I felt like I was looking at him for the first time. It was shocking how attractive he was and as I looked around the diner I noticed a table full of girls a little younger than me gawking at him. They weren't even trying to hide how hard they were staring. My knee-jerk reaction would have been to tell them to piss off and leave us alone, but I was secretly enjoying the attention and I was actually feeling a little smug that he was here with me.

"So, you were saying?" I casually gestured with my hand and laid it on the table. Paul slowly put his hand down on top of mine and I tried to pull away, but he held on a little tighter than I normally would have allowed. I sighed, but we were in public and I didn't feel like making a scene, so I let his hand rest there.

"Leah. I don't know how to say this." Paul _blushed_. No kidding, full on red cheeks and all. I wanted to run out of the diner and get in the car and never turn back. But I had to let him finish. That and he pretty much had my hand in a vice grip hold. I wasn't going anywhere.

"Leah, I… well, I…um…"

"Paul, whatever it is, just spit it out already. I can't stand waiting."

"Leah, I imprinted on you. I want to be with you, and only you. I feel like such an asshole for treating you so badly, but you know how I am and I just didn't know what to say and-"

I cut him off mid-explanation, "you did WHAT? Oh. My. Fucking. God. No, you didn't."

"But Leah, I did." His pleading eyes told the truth.

I clenched my hands into tight fists and had to slow my breathing so I wouldn't phase right there in the middle of the Forks Diner and fucking rip his head off.

"When?" I spat back with pure evil in my eyes. Imprinting made me want to claw my own eyes out. How could he? I'm a genetic dead end. I can't make wolf babies. I can't make ANY babies. I'm frozen. But Paul imprinted? On me? HOW could this happen?

"This morning, right after I pushed you and you fell down the hill." Great, thanks for reminding me about that, like I didn't want to rip your head off already.

"Are you sure? Maybe you just ate some bad elk or something and you have rabies." I was seething.

Just then, our food arrived. I looked down at my hand where Paul was now gripping for dear life and looked up at him.

"Paul, I'm starving. Let my hand go now."

Again, he listened to me. Holy. Shit. He did imprint. Normally he would have spewed back a stream of insults vile enough to make a sailor blush, and here he was just doing whatever I asked him to do just because I asked.

Big, fat, hot tears welled up in my eyes. I looked down at my food and suddenly I couldn't see anything. Before a single tear hit the table, Paul was next to me, his big arms wrapped around my shoulders, asking me what was wrong and what he could do to fix it.

I sobbed quietly on his nice shirt and whispered, "are you really sure you're mine now?"

Paul stroked my hair, wiped away my tears, lifted my chin and said, "I'm all yours now, love."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I took a deep breath and looked right into Paul's eyes. I saw something there that I'd never imagined I'd see again. Hope. There was an honest, earnest ache in his eyes to make me feel right. I can't believe how quickly I forgot about hating imprinting- one open stare into his eyes made me realize that this imprinting business was no joke. I grabbed my napkin off of the table, wiped my face off and realized that I was actually starving. It had been a while since I'd eaten- I honestly couldn't remember how long.

"Paul, let's eat before it gets cold." I mumbled, recognizing the softened tone of my voice. I was already reacting to him being next to me, and it was getting difficult to focus on my hunger and not the ache in my chest to have him hold me all night.

Paul didn't move from my side. He reached across the table and slid his plate next to mine. It was obvious he was a little conflicted. He looked at his arm slung across my shoulders and then down at the huge burger in front of him. I smiled a sideways smile and shrugged out of his casual embrace so he could eat with both hands. He chuckled and thanked me with a wink. We both destroyed our food in minutes, not really caring what anyone saw as we shoveled fries and huge bites into our mouths. I knew it was a bit of a shock for people to see me eat like this, but fuck it, I was so hungry I didn't give a shit. The girls that had been staring at Paul, my Paul (oh shit, my Paul? Could I really be this lucky?) had long since gone back to their gossip, but I definitely caught a few sideways glances that reeked of jealously. I found myself beaming with pride inside. I didn't have to hurt anymore. I didn't have to be the angst-ridden bitch that the boys couldn't stand to be around, but that didn't mean I would stop being Leah. There was no way I was going to stop being me; especially now, because Paul imprinted on me for who I was, not who I could be or pretended to be.

My heart was soaring and aching at the same time. I finally felt like there might be a little justice in the world, but then there was a huge lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow away with sips of my coke.

"Paul, did you tell Sam yet?" I was staring at my hands, wishing I could get a manicure that wouldn't be ruined right away and feeling an ache that I couldn't get rid of.

"No, I didn't. I was thinking that I needed to tell you first because I didn't know what I would do if you rejected me. I was hoping this would be your reaction, but I couldn't be sure. Fuck, Leah, how are we going to tell him?"

I smirked at his cursing- I guess imprinting wasn't going to change everything- but then I frowned hard at my empty plate and the angry tears welled up again. Why was I crying so damn much? I should be fucking happy. Sam had his imprint and now I had mine. He would have to be happy for me, right? But ugh, what if he wasn't? What would he do? He was the Alpha, he held some serious power over all of us.

"Leah, it's okay. Don't worry about what Sam will think. Let's just get out of here and go talk somewhere without an audience." Paul's reassurance helped a little and I was able to sniffle away the last of the tears for the night. Damn it, I was not going to cry for Sam anymore- at least not tonight.

Paul called the waitress over and paid the bill. He left a good tip on the table, slid off of the bench seat and held his hand out for me. My heart was pounding, but he knew that already and a snicker escaped his lips before he could control it.

"Nervous? Come on, Leah, let's get out of here."

I scrunched up my nose at him. I wasn't nervous, more like completely terrified, but he didn't need to know that.

"Whatever, Paul, I'm okay." I grabbed his hand hard and we walked out of the diner. I couldn't help myself. I peeked over my shoulder and winked at the table full of gossiping girls. They all stopped talking for a second, mouths slack in shock, and quickly turned back to their conversations.

Who needed bitchy friends when I had Paul?

Gah, I had Paul. He was mine now. What the hell was I going to do with him? I mean, obviously I knew what I was going to do with him, I wasn't stupid. But how will this change the pack? Will they look at me differently? Shit, I was going to have to learn how to REALLY keep my thoughts to myself. The last thing I wanted was my little brother to have a fucking play-by-play of my sex life running through his head. That would be way too traumatizing for all of us.

I shook away the pack thoughts. They would just have to wait until tomorrow. For now it was just us- me and Paul, and my big, beat-ass Lincoln. With that huge back seat just empty and waiting.

"Where are we going?" Paul asked quietly. He had to tear himself away from my hand so we could get in the car, but as soon as he had the opportunity, he grabbed it again and was drawing small circles on the back of my hand with his fingers.

"I have no idea." I was having a really hard time focusing on anything other than the pictures he was tracing up my arm now. I glanced over at him and he was staring so intently at my face my mouth popped open. My eyes widened and I was finally able to come up with some semblance of a thought.

"Um, well we could go to the beach. It's a nice night for once and we don't have to do patrols. I guess we have all night, unless you need to go somewhere." The obvious panic in my voice made Paul grip my hand just a little bit tighter.

"There is no place on Earth I'd rather be than right here with you." I could feel the layers of pain, rage, and hurt slowly melting away. He was so true, there was no way I could ignore his immediate devotion. I hoped I wouldn't embarrass myself, but I really didn't think that was possible with the kind of intensity that was sparking between us. My breathing hitched a little when he rested his hand on my right knee.

It took all I had not to pull over and jump him right there, but I didn't want to look like a slut and I really didn't want to get caught, so I focused as much as I could on driving us safely to the beach.

We parked on the far end of the beach and I shut off the car. It was deserted out here, even though it wasn't raining for once. I guess it was really cold out, but neither Paul nor I noticed the cold anymore. One of the benefits of being a shape shifter- we were never cold.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Paul had eased his grip on my knee and was tracing tiny circles on my fingertips. He looked nervous and shy, two words that had never gone in a sentence to describe Paul in his entire life. He was always insanely cocky, loud and rude, and I was having a hard time believing this was the same Paul who pushed me down the mountain this afternoon. Right, Leah, he knocked the wind out of you and pushed you down a fucking mountain this afternoon- don't let this imprinting business keep you from righting that shit.

"Yeah, sure." Paul released my hand and we got out of the car. He moved so quickly, he was at my side before I could shut the door. Nervous, again- what the hell, did imprinting short out his fucking brain? I wondered if he was just putting on a show for me so I would believe that he wasn't actually an asshole. But once I looked him square in the eyes, I knew he was for real about everything he'd said. That made me so nervous; I looked down at my flats and absently wondered why we were walking in the direction of the woods instead of towards the water.

"Paul, where are we going?" I squeezed his hand a little tighter and looked up into his eyes. Damn, he was really beautiful. Why had I never noticed before? Oh, right, because he was always knocking me on my ass or pushing me down a mountain. I gasped a little at the thought of him on top of me so many times. I wished privately that he wouldn't completely change that behavior now that he had imprinted.

"Um, there's a little cabin up this way that I thought we could hang out in, but if you don't want to go, we don't have to-"

"No, it's perfect, I was just curious." I bit my lip and dropped my face, hoping to hide my embarrassment and excitement at having _my Paul_ all alone in a cabin for the night.

Paul released some of the tension in his shoulders once I agreed to go with him. He smirked a little and in that little smug smile, I saw the Paul that had knocked me down time and time again. Good. He was still in there. I don't think I could be happy with a guy who acted like more of a chick than I was.

We walked for about ten minutes in silence, Paul's huge hand still firmly wrapped around mine, when I saw the outline of a perfect little cabin against the moonlight. As we got closer, I realized that it was just a little fishing cabin that the tourists stayed in when they wanted the "Native" experience, whatever the hell that meant.

Paul reached out and opened the door to the cabin and let go of my hand for just a second to light the oil lamp that sat on a small table to the left of the door. As soon as it was lit, he grabbed my hand again and pulled me into the simple, one room cabin.

I glanced around the room and noted a love seat facing a small fireplace to my left, a small dresser in the corner, and a king sized bed to my right.

Paul kicked the door closed and I knew right then that he was all mine and nothing in the world was going to change that.

I pounced. I fucking _pounced_. I slammed against his muscular chest and he landed against the bed and bounced when the mattress gave under our weight. Paul gasped and his eyes were huge.

"What *_gasp* _the fuck was that for?" Paul choked out between breaths. He was pinned to the bed under me as I straddled his hips with both hands still pressed against his chest.

"That was for pushing me down the fucking mountain this afternoon." I hissed in his ear and when I was that close to his face, I couldn't hold back anymore. I slipped my tongue around his earlobe and nibbled just a little. He smelled so perfect; I thought I might die right there.

"Oh it's like that then?" and with one swift _swoosh_ I was pinned to the bed, hands over my head, gasping for air. Holy shit. This was going to be fucking amazing.

It had been a really long time since I was with anyone like this. Well, honestly, I was only ever with Sam, and he was always so careful with me, our sex life was pretty tame. But now I was thinking about all of those times that Paul tackled me in a completely different way.

We were both panting, caught off guard by the other. Paul was holding my arms back with one hand and began to run his free hand through my short, messy hair. He was looking at me like he had so many times before, with what I used to think was pure hatred, but now I recognized it as something different-lust. I thought I might burst into a fireball if he didn't kiss me soon.

The smirk across his face slid back into doubt, and I didn't want him to get all fucking wishy-washy on me now.

"Paul, kiss me. Now. Don't make me wait anymore. Please." I was aching to feel his lips against mine.

His confidence returned and he slowly leaned down toward my face. I lifted my head off of the bed, but he backed away.

"Leah, please, just hold still and let me kiss you. Trust me." I think I just died. My heart was thudding so loudly against my ribs- I bet the people at the diner must have heard it.

"Okay," I mumbled and rested my head back on the bed.

Paul leaned into me and, breathing in deeply at my neckline, he began to shower my face with tiny, sweet kisses. I was gasping for air again, but not because he hit me. He felt like heaven. This was heaven.

He paused when he reached my lips, which were already parted and panting from his touch. Ever so gently, he pressed his lips against mine and I finally got to kiss my future. It was all I could do to kiss him sweetly; I wanted to devour him so badly. I started to struggle against his grip on my hands and he freed me. My hands immediately started groping every part of his perfect body. He met my level of passion and pushed his tongue past my lips, exploring gently at first, and then almost a little violently.

I raked my short nails across his shoulders and he moaned loudly. Paul's strong hands reached for the bottom of my t-shirt and aggressively yanked it over my head.

He gasped. "Damn, Leah, you are so fucking hot." I felt my body pull towards him like a magnet.

My hands immediately gripped Paul's hips and I rubbed my thumbs against the strong muscles that disappeared beneath the waist of his jeans. This can't be real.

He started groaning as I pushed hard against him and he yanked off his shirt in one swift motion. It was my turn to gasp. He looked at me with a mix of fury, passion, and love if that's even possible. I have never wanted someone so badly in my entire life.

In the flickering light of the oil lamp, I could see the tight sinews of muscle that rippled along every inch of Paul's huge frame. I squeezed my eyes shut for just a second and catalogued this moment in my brain- pinned to the bed, topless, with Paul's gorgeous muscles twitching in excitement.

I didn't give a shit what anyone had to say about us- I wanted this more than anything in the world. Paul's imprinting had finally made me feel whole. Maybe he was what I had been missing all along.

"Leah, are you okay?" Paul's anxious voice shattered my moment. Shit, how long had I closed my eyes?

"Paul, I'm fine. I just didn't want to ever forget how fucking perfect this moment is and how fucking hot you are."

"Good to know you aren't going to clean up your mouth around me," Paul chuckled as he leaned down to kiss both of my cheeks and slowly kissed a trail down my neck to the top of my left breast. His tongue rolled my nipple as his hand reached up and rested on my right breast, slowly rolling his palm against me. I couldn't help it; I started bucking my hips against his. The heat that had built between us was enough to burn down the entire forest.

"Please, Paul- I can't fucking take it anymore. I need you now, please. Damn it, don't make me beg," I was panting, pleading, and nearly screaming at him. It's a good thing he was listening to me now. I could hardly think straight. Paul slid his huge hands down my stomach and his fingers danced along the waist of my jeans. He slowly popped the top button and carefully unzipped my jeans.

He was torturing me, but I liked it. A lot. I dug my nails into his hips and found the button on his jeans which he shook off onto the floor. He didn't stand up straight until he had pulled my jeans off and tossed them across the small cabin but when he did, I nearly fainted.

He was perfect- Adonis perfect. I had seen Paul in shorts every day since the first day I'd phased, but I managed to keep my gaze away when the boys were naked. It was embarrassing enough that I was naked outside so much- the last thing I needed was a mental picture of any of them like that.

But he was absolutely incredible. Every muscle was tight and defined and the delicious muscles that made a perfect V formed an arrow to the most perfect package I could have ever imagined. A rush of heat flooded my core and I thought I could have an orgasm just by looking at him, he was so fucking perfect.

Paul scooped me up and threw me into the middle of the bed so fast I could barely catch my breath which was already coming in jagged pants. I bounced once in the air and then Paul was everywhere. His hot breath was against my neck, then my breasts, then my stomach. His hands dragged roughly up my thighs and I grabbed fistfuls of his hair as I moaned his name. I started to push his head down where the heat was flooding me, threatening to ignite the bed.

Paul flicked his tongue along my stomach and began to nibble all the way down my thigh and I thought for a second he was going to just tease me until I exploded, when he finally slid two fingers inside me.

"FUCK, ohh, Paul, holy SHIT." I was grunting like an animal against his thrusts when his tongue found my clit and he didn't slow with his hand. Paul's left hand was palmed firmly against the small of my back, arching me up toward his hot mouth. It was maybe thirty seconds before I was screaming his name and riding the crest of the most powerful orgasm I had ever experienced. My body tensed around his fingers, shuddering and twitching with release. Paul gently laid me back down on the bed and slowly eased his fingers out of me, making me tense around the movement.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand as Paul lay down next to me. I watched as he licked the tips of his fingers and closed his eyes.

"Oh, God Leah, you taste so good," he moaned huskily and his words made me tingle all over again. This was definitely going to be the best fucking night of my life. Well, the best first night of this new life. I still couldn't believe that he was all mine, this absolutely gorgeous man who would do anything to make me happy. I deserve this.

"I…I…" I couldn't get the fucking words out.

"What is it baby?" Paul whispered in my ear and his hot breath made me ache for him again.

"I love you." Gah, did I just fucking say that out loud? I mean, just this morning I was ready to cut his asshole head off and here I was professing my love for him after the most explosive orgasm of my entire life. But I meant it. Tomorrow was going to suck, but I wasn't going to let it ruin the rest of this night.

The look on Paul's face was nearly impossible to describe. His eyes were wide in shock, his forehead was furrowed, and he was biting his bottom lip. Shit. That was stupid, Leah. He's going to fucking run away and leave you here all alone to crash harder than ever. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Oh, Leah, I love you, too. Forever and always, no matter what happens. I love you so much."

GASP. That was better than what I was expecting. That was the most perfect thing he could have ever said to me.

I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and moved on top of me. I reached down and grabbed his perfect manhood and he cursed against my lips. I guided him into me, never letting his lips move away from mine. Paul filled me so completely, it was hard for me to do anything else but be right there with him, meeting his thrusts with my hips, grinding and cursing as he fucked me right into my second most insane orgasm ever. He was muttering sweet things under his breath as he pounded right through my orgasm, and I was so shocked that he hadn't lost it yet. He bit his lip as I came all over him, screaming his name and clawing at his back. I fell back on the bed as he continued his smooth, patient thrusts and I looked up at him. His hair was sticking up all over, and beads of sweat were cascading down his gorgeous muscles. He had his eyes half-closed and his right hand was palming my ass and squeezing as he pushed deep into me. My legs were wrapped tightly around his back and as I looked at this beautiful man who was now mine, I felt the tension building in me again.

"Paul, I'm gonna-" I didn't have to finish my sentence because Paul was coming too and we rode out our orgasms together.

Paul collapsed on the bed next to me and he slowly guided himself out of me. I felt empty without him, but I knew I'd have him again soon enough. Paul pulled the sheet up and wiped the beads of sweat off of his face and looked at me with an expression I had never seen.

He looked complete. I was complete.

"I love you, Leah."

"I love you, Paul."

We smiled at each other and I knew that we could face anything as long as we were together.

"Paul?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Tomorrow is going to fucking suck." He chuckled.

"Tell me about it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I woke up with the early morning sun shining across my face. I had fallen asleep with my head on Paul's chest and my arm draped over his stomach. His arm rested over my shoulder and his steady breathing let me know he was still asleep. I squeezed my eyes together hard, trying to process how drastically my life had changed since yesterday morning.

Yesterday morning I woke up filled with the hatred, angst and pain that flooded every thought and action of my life. I had no hope that anything would be different. I ate because I had to, not because I enjoyed the food. I trained because I was forced to, not because I liked to be outside or spend time with my pack mates. I was beaten relentlessly, which only made me more furious and spiteful. I had planned to find friends as a last ditch effort to stifle the madness that was consuming my heart.

But this morning was so different. I felt lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest. My heart wasn't aching with every beat and I didn't have to swallow the lump that was always in my throat. I was full of hope again; filled with the desire to go out and live life well. As my head rose up with Paul's steady breathing, I turned into his chest and kissed him with my smile. This was why I stuck around La Push for so long. I needed to feel this way again. I finally felt respected, challenged, encouraged, and loved. My heart had ached for so long, I almost forgot what content felt like. I looked up at Paul's sleeping face and my heart skipped a beat.

Paul took a deep breath in and squeezed my shoulder. He yawned hugely, showing off his bright teeth. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and looked down at me with a big, stupid ass grin on his face. He looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Morning. You look pretty fucking pleased with yourself, Paul." I snickered.

"Hell yeah I am. I imprinted on you yesterday afternoon, fell in love with you at dinner, and pretty much had the best fucking time of my entire life with you last night. I'm easily the happiest man alive today."

He pulled me up on top of him and kissed both of my cheeks, my eyelids and my nose. I started giggling because his little kisses tickled my face. Damn, this was so sweet. This kind of behavior would normally make me retch and gag, but I just let him nuzzle my neck and repeat, "I love you" because I fucking deserved it, that's why. I didn't have to hurt anymore.

I sucked in a big breath and rolled off of Paul.

"What time is it?" I asked Paul when I realized that we were going to have to go back soon. My mom was probably worried. I hadn't taken off like this in a while, and I crossed my fingers hoping Seth had covered for me and that she hadn't called the Tribal Council panicking about where I was.

"It's only 7 am," Paul said after he checked the clock on the wall. He looked sad that I wasn't in his arms anymore. I didn't like seeing him sad. God, what a fucking switch from how I felt about him yesterday; yesterday I wanted him to fall off the damn mountain and today I couldn't handle him looking sad for a second.

"I should really get home. I don't know if Seth covered for me and I don't want my mom to call the council." I really didn't want to move, and the look on Paul's face told me he didn't want to leave either, but we both got up reluctantly and grabbed our clothes.

We dressed in silence. I couldn't help myself from staring at Paul as he pulled up his jeans and threw his t-shirt back over his head. My mind was totally fucking blown. I still couldn't even fathom how this shit actually worked. We had always heard that imprinting happened at first sight. But Paul and I had seen each other every day for months, and nothing ever clicked until yesterday.

Was my body going to change? Was all this "frozen in time" bullshit going to end? It's not like I could just go to the nearest computer and "Google" imprinting or female shape shifters. I was the first and only female in the history of the Quileute tribe to shift.

Goddamn vampires. They really fucked up my life. First they changed Sam, who had been _my _Sam for so long and then he fucking left me for Emily. When I changed, I understood what had happened to Sam, but it didn't make it fucking hurt any less. On top of that agony, I was forever linked to his thoughts whether I wanted to know them or not. If he was thinking about Emily, so was I. That burned straight through me every single agonizing day. I didn't really give a fuck that the guys were tired of me and suffered a little because they had to feel my pain. Sure, I didn't want to be a giant bitch all the time, but try to imagine having your heart ripped out of you and then having to constantly see and hear how _blissfully happy_ your ex was with his new girlfriend- who was also your favorite cousin. Ow.

Then my little brother changed. He was so sweet and had so much potential to succeed outside of La Push, and now he was stuck here protecting the tribe. He was too honest and devoted to just take off on his own, so I knew he was going to stay. He was such a good kid; he took to being a shape shifter like it was a merit badge to stitch to his shirt. But I was so pissed- I wanted so much more for Seth. He didn't need to be stuck in La Push forever.

But I couldn't change anything now. I slipped back into my flats and Paul grabbed my hand as we headed out the door. I wasn't going to forget anything about tonight, but I'd have to remember to be careful when we were phased. That was going to be hard.

Paul and I started walking back to the Lincoln when he finally broke the silence.

"Leah, I've been thinking," he sort of whispered under his breath.

"Does it hurt? Do you need some ice?" I couldn't help myself; he made it too easy.

He laughed and shook his head. "I'm really glad you are still you. I don't think I'd feel the same way if you didn't dish it out."

I grinned and encouraged him, "don't you hold back with me. This relationship won't last a second if you get all pussy-footed with me. I will tear you apart."

Paul stopped short and spun me into his chest. "Promise?"

"Hell yeah." I gasped.

He leaned in and pressed his hot lips against mine. I grabbed fistfuls of his hair and kissed him back so he knew I wanted him.

He finally broke off the kiss and said, "really, though, what are we going to tell Sam?"

Shit. I knew it was going to come to this point, but I still didn't think I was ready for it yet. Even though I was so happy and still riding on the high of my incredible night with Paul, I could feel the tightening in my heart when I thought about Sam. I would always love him, no matter what happened, and he knew it. Sometimes I thought he really regretted imprinting on Emily, but I couldn't be sure because he was so good at guarding his thoughts. If he could ever get over me and Paul, I would have to ask him about finding that measure of control that I clearly didn't have.

"Shit, Paul. I'm not sure. But we have to do it together and in human form- he doesn't need all the intimate details right in his head all at once. Babe, I'm scared. What if he does something crazy? What if he bans us from the pack? I can't live without Seth. I need to be with him. I'm really scared." My panicking made Paul pull me tighter into his chest and his touch slowed my rushed breathing and calmed my shaky hands.

"Shush, baby. It will be okay. As long as we are together, nothing will stop us. I promise." He pulled my chin up towards his face.

"I will never leave you, no matter what happens. Trust me." He was so absolutely sure of himself, I knew there was no way he didn't believe that one hundred percent. But even with his comfort and reassurance, I was still really flipping out about talking to Sam.

"I know that now. Let's get back to the car and we can figure it all out on the way back to your place." It was time to be a big girl and grab life by the balls. I couldn't let the fear of Sam's rejection burn in my chest anymore. There was no room for that pain. My heart was flooded with Paul's unconditional (and slightly sadistic) brand of love and devotion.

We reached the car pretty quickly, as neither one of us really knew how to walk slowly. I tossed Paul my keys and told him to drive to his house. I knew where he lived, but I needed the time to really think about how we were going to break this news to the rest of the pack. I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my head on the window. How could I explain this? The whole pack already understood how imprinting worked; we had seen it and felt it through Sam and Quil- but for them, it was at first sight. It was different between me and Paul. We had seen each other tons of times, and he hadn't imprinted on me until just yesterday. Ugh, he had hurt me so many times before he'd imprinted. Again, this led to my frustration and confusion about my place in the tribe. I was so fucking confused about all of it; I didn't really know what to feel anymore.

"Leah, tell me what you're thinking about. You look like you are going to phase right here in the fucking car."

I hadn't realized it, but my hands were balled into tight, white-knuckled fists and my whole body was trembling with the urge to shift into wolf form.

"I just…I don't know. I'm confused. Do you know why it took you so long to imprint?"

Paul took a ragged, nervous breath. He looked like, if he'd had the chance, he would have run far, far away where no one knew anything about him and his fucked lot in life. It made me panic a little when that thought crossed my mind. I knew he wasn't going to go anywhere, but it still freaked me out.

"Honestly, no, I don't know why. It was just like any other training mission where I let you get ahead a little, and then knock you down because Sam is always worried that you will-"

"What the FUCK are you talking about, Paul? You had _orders_ from _Sam _for my training? Pull the fucking car over right now. We are talking about this. I don't give a shit how uncomfortable you are."

Paul pulled the car over onto the side of the road, even though his face was filled with fear and panic at the thought of having to confront me about this obvious problem that sat like a boulder between us. I had managed to calm my breathing enough to talk to Paul without phasing, which was a serious challenge. All I wanted was to beat Paul senseless, go back to the pack and murder them all for treating me this way.

"Tell me the truth, Paul, and don't fucking sugar coat it. I am tired of being lied to."

Paul clearly didn't want to have this conversation with me, but I wasn't about to let him get out of it now. He raked his fingers through his hair, glanced down at the radio, looked out the driver's side window, and finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Leah, please don't flip your shit, okay? You have to understand that when you phased it was a shock to all of us, especially Sam. How do I put this…it was just unheard of and Sam was trying to be the best pack leader he could be. He had a lot of meetings with the tribal council trying to find the best way to protect you."

I ground my teeth together so hard, Paul stopped talking. My face flushed bright red and I held my hands in such tight fists that there were pools of blood forming on my jeans. I was a problem to be dealt with, yet again.

Paul forcibly caught my chin in his hand and wrenched my face in his direction.

"Leah, calm the fuck down. You wanted the truth right? Well let me finish then."

I managed to slow my breathing again, but I wasn't sure how long I could hang on to this control.

"Anyway, Sam went to the council a bunch of times trying to make this work for all of us. He didn't want to make you hurt anymore than he already had, so it was decided that nothing would be done except we would all try to be as welcoming as possible. But Sam and I talked about it a lot. He was really fucked up about hurting you and he struggled to keep his thoughts to himself. He made me promise to keep an eye on you when we weren't phased, which wasn't easy because you were always such a pain in the ass to be around."

Paul turned up the corner of his mouth, his eyebrow arched and his right eye sparkled. I was pissed because he'd just insulted me again, but damn it if he wasn't the sexiest fucker I had ever seen in my life. I reached up and punched him in the arm. He absently rubbed the spot where I'd struck him and kept talking.

"So Sam's orders were to keep an eye on you and to train you hard because he wanted to be sure that you would be able to take care of yourself. Maybe I got a little carried away with the training, but it was a lot of fun to get you on your back all the time."

Paul was full on smirking now, an air of playfulness surrounding him. As frustrated as I was about Sam setting directives to watch me, I just couldn't help myself. I climbed over to Paul and straddled him in the driver's seat. I slammed his head against the head rest and kissed him hard.

He returned my furious kiss, reached up with his left hand to grab a handful of my hair, and planted his right hand firmly on my ass. His passionate reciprocation made me gasp for air. All of the rage and tension that had just flooded the space between us was replaced with furious passion as quickly as I had breached that small distance.

We broke off our kiss and I climbed back into the passenger seat. I knew we really had to get back before my mom went bat shit about me being out all night. I mean, yes, I am 23 years old and I should be able to stay out for a night, but life on the Rez is a little different, especially when your kids are shape-shifting wolves who hunt vampires.

I thought about the question that I had asked Paul which he hadn't really been able to answer because I became so filled with rage so quickly.

"Paul, babe, I still don't understand about this imprint. Do you think it means that I'm going to stop shifting? I mean, am I a 'viable' option? This shit is so confusing. Why can't I just be fucking normal?"

Paul reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Stop. Leah, I have no answers for you. All I know is that I fucking love you with everything I've got and I imprinted on you. I'm yours forever. We will figure out all that other shit later. Please don't stress about it. We're here."

We had reached Paul's house fairly quickly, even with our little "freak-the-shit-out" pit stop. Paul looked at his small house and quickly assessed that no one was home. Paul's mom worked crazy hours and his aunt was out. He lived with those two women his whole life. His father had skipped out on his mom when he was just a baby and his aunt moved in with her to help raise him. I giggled in my head at the thought of Paul being disciplined by those two tough women. He was such a pain in the ass troublemaker, it's a wonder they didn't just lock him in a closet all the time.

Paul threw the car into park and squeezed my hand. I slid over to him and kissed him lightly on his perfect lips. He smiled against my lips and whispered, "I love you, Leah."

My heart fluttered at his easy commitment to me. I ached a little knowing that I had to leave him now, but I also knew I had to get home soon.

"I love you, too, Paul." I breathed against his neck and nuzzled his earlobe. With a sigh, he opened the driver's side door and slid out of my embrace. He bent down to kiss me one last time.

"Why don't we meet up for lunch at noon? We can get Sam to sit down and hear us out before anyone else makes any judgments about us." Paul had a good point. The sooner we talked to Sam the better. Gossip spread like wildfire throughout the Rez. These were good people, but life was usually pretty boring if they didn't talk about each others lives.

I sucked in one more deep breath and told Paul that I would pick him up at 11:30 and we'd go to the local restaurant. If we stayed on the reservation we'd be better off if something went wrong and we needed to phase quickly.

I pulled my car door shut and watched as Paul loped up the path to his front door. His jeans hugged his tight ass and long, lean legs just right. His t-shirt stretched effortlessly across his shoulders and his muscles jumped with every step. The sun made his gorgeous dark skin shine and a small breeze mussed his short black hair. I felt a rush of heat between my legs when I again remembered that this perfect specimen of man was now _my_ perfection. I blinked back a renegade tear that had formed in the corner of my eye, threw the Lincoln in reverse and headed to my house. I really hoped that Seth had covered for me, or that my mom had just been out working an extra shift and wouldn't even notice I was gone.

I got lucky. Mom wasn't home and when I came into the house, Seth was sitting on the sofa eating chips and watching TV.

"Leah, where were you last night? I thought you took off again." Seth asked with the slightest tinge of anxiety in his voice. He was such a good little brother.

"No, I just needed to get out for a night. I'm fine. Did mom come home last night?"

"No, she picked up an extra shift. You're safe."

"Thanks."

Seth didn't really pry, which was a quality I absolutely adored in him, especially right now. I wasn't going to be able to explain what I was up to last night to my sweet, innocent little brother. He just mumbled, "sure," and went back to the TV and his chips.

I grabbed a towel from the hall closet and walked to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and brushed my teeth while the water heated up. I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water rush all over my still tingling body. I closed my eyes and ran my hands all over, relishing in the memory of Paul's strong hands, lips, and his other perfect parts.

I was so worked up thinking about Paul I realized I was nearly at climax and I was barely touching myself. I slipped my hand between my legs and gently caressed myself, still slightly swollen and hot from yesterday's workout. I kept my eyes shut tightly and slid a finger inside. Within a minute, I was panting through yet another glorious orgasm. I gathered my thoughts and quickly washed up.

It had been so long since I felt good about myself and I was truly grateful that Paul was in my life now. I toweled off after my shower and went to my room. It was only 8 am, and I was actually exhausted. Or maybe just satisfied, but either way, I didn't have to meet Paul for 3 more hours, so I threw on a t-shirt and underwear, set my alarm clock for 10:30 and crashed on my bed. I was dreaming of Paul's perfect everything within minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*

My alarm clock screamed at me that it was time to get up and face Sam. I smacked the alarm off and rubbed my eyes and stretched. I was sure that I wasn't ready for this, but there was no stopping it now. We needed to tell the pack or they would see it for themselves the next time we phased, and I really didn't want to put my private thoughts about my new love out there for all of them to see. Paul had always been the toughest on me, but that didn't mean the rest of them were anything but civil. They had all given me plenty of shit for ruining their "frat party" and I was sure this was just going to make it even more awkward.

But Paul loved me now, and even though I was scared, I held onto that with both hands. I stood up and looked in the mirror, debating whether I should dress for phasing or eating at the restaurant. I looked in my almost bare closet (an unfortunate side effect of phasing in anger all of the time) and settled on a beat up denim skirt and a plain gray tank top. This was presentable enough for eating at the restaurant, but disposable enough to be ruined if I phased.

I looked back into the mirror and saw that my short hair was sticking up all over the place because I had crashed when it was wet. I looked like a freaking porcupine. I still had a minute to fix my crazed appearance and I rushed into the bathroom and wet my hair. I ran my brush through it and smoothed it with my fingers. That's a little better, at least. I brushed my teeth again and when I finished I walked out into the living room. Seth was still on the couch in front of the TV, but now he was playing Call of Duty on his PS3 and there were kids screaming at each other in different languages. He was so absorbed in his game he didn't even see me walk into the room.

"Seth, I'm going out. I have a meeting with Sam." I let the words spill out quickly and I hoped that Seth would just let it go, but he didn't. He hid in a corner room in the game and hit "pause" so he could turn and look at me.

"A meeting with Sam? What for?" His face was a mix of honest curiosity, excitement and anxiety. Seth knew all too well the damage that had been done when Sam left me for Emily. He was there for me to help pick up the pieces of my broken heart and shove them back into my chest. Any additional contact with Sam outside of pack duties was shocking to say the least.

"Don't worry about it, Seth. I just have to tell him something." I sighed when I saw Seth's face screw up into a pained grimace.

"You're not leaving, are you? I don't want to be the last to know if you are leaving. I need you around, sis." Jesus, I didn't deserve a brother this sweet. He was so good; I started to get pissed a little again about him being stuck in La Push forever. Cool it, Leah. Just get out of the house without telling him everything.

"Nah, Seth, relax. I'm not going anywhere. Listen, we'll talk about it when I get back, okay? I'm gonna be late."

Once he realized I wasn't leaving, his face relaxed and he flipped his game back on.

"Okay, Leah. See you," Seth called over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off of the screen.

Whew, this was going to be a challenge to explain, even to Seth. He had taken my break up with Sam pretty hard because of how badly I was hurt, and then we lost Dad just a few months ago, which was tough for all of us. My dad was such a good guy; he was always there for all of us and was really trying to help us find a way to deal with this wolf gene we had inherited.

My eyes welled up as I walked to the door and grabbed my keys from the table. I really missed Dad, and I didn't think any amount of time would really end that pain. But I had to focus. Today wasn't about grieving, it was about being honest with our Alpha and hoping to God he didn't fucking kill us both right there in the restaurant.

I jogged out to my trusty Lincoln, unlocked the door, and turned the key in the ignition. I looked at the clock on the dash and realized I was a little early. But early was better than late, so I spun the dial on my old radio and found the local alternative station that always put me at ease, threw the car into reverse and headed over to Paul's house.

It only took me about five minutes to pull into Paul's driveway from my house. He was sitting in one of the chairs on the porch, stretched out so wide that he filled up most of the small area. Paul hopped up to his feet as soon as he saw me in the driveway and trotted over to the passenger side door.

He slid over in the seat and he suddenly grabbed my face in his hands and breathed, "God I missed you," against my lips before he kissed me so passionately I forgot how to breathe for a minute.

He released my face and leaned back into the seat. Again, he had that cocky smirk on his face, but this time there was a small twinge of panic around his eyes. I was getting exceptionally good at reading Paul's perfect face.

"You know, you could just say 'hey,' right? I mean, if it's that hot all the time we won't ever get anywhere." I tried to stifle a giggle, but it slipped out anyway. I couldn't hide the red in my cheeks; I knew Paul wouldn't let that go.

"Damn, Leah you are one sexy bitch- even when you're blushing." He winked and stuck out his tongue at me.

"What the fuck did you just call me? Oh, it's a good thing I'm early 'cause it's on, asshole!" I leapt at him, both of my hands slammed against his hard chest and my knees pinned his legs.

"Don't ever call me a bitch, or I'll have to show you what a real bitch is all about!" I barked inches from Paul's smug face and he widened his eyes, but only to make me feel like I'd actually shaken him. He grabbed both of my wrists and deftly pinned them behind my back. He leaned in so close to my left ear that his bottom lip rested on my earlobe.

"Promise?" His husky voice and hot breath had me panting in a second. The fact that my hands were pinned behind me and my body was pressed so hard against Paul's I could feel his excitement building between my legs didn't help me keep any scrap of composure, or help me to remember how he'd just insulted me again.

"Fuck, Paul, how do you do that?" I mumbled while he hungrily kissed my neckline and made a trail down to my breast.

"Unghhh, Paul, I, yeah, don't, um, think we have, uhhh, time for this," I could hardly get a sentence out while Paul's mouth greedily sucked at my breast and his free hand worked up my skirt.

"It's fine, we aren't meeting until 12:30. Sam had some shit to do this morning." He grunted against my chest.

"Ungh, why are we fucking in the car then? Uhhh, take me to your bed, babe, I need to feel you now."

As soon as the word "bed" fell out of my mouth, Paul had opened the passenger side door, hopped out with me in his arms, kicked the door shut and ran in the front door straight to his bedroom. I wanted to look around and see what his room looked like, but that could wait. All I could focus on now was Paul's perfectly sculpted naked body in front of me, quickly stripping me of my clothes. So much for fixing my hair.

I was so damned wet already; I told Paul I wasn't interested in the usual foreplay shit. I was hot and ready _right-fucking-now._ He listened attentively again, and lined his twitching, hard erection up into the puddle that had formed between my legs. He thrust into me so hard I gasped, but the way he filled me so completely felt like home. I knew this was right, and I didn't give a fuck what the pack thought. I was Paul's mate, forever. The thought sent my head reeling into my first sweet, delicious orgasm. I squeezed hard against Paul's beautiful cock and panted his name while I rode it out. He leaned down into my face and kissed my cheek.

"You are so fucking beautiful I can't stand it. Can I ask you something?" Paul was grunting through clenched teeth.

"What's up?" I breathed.

"Can I flip you over?" Jesus, this was just getting better and better. If we kept this up, we'd never leave the house.

"Yeah, okay." I gripped Paul's shoulders with both hands as he slid out of me, panting with excitement for a new sensation. I rolled over onto my stomach and lifted my ass up in the air. I wrapped my arms around Paul's pillow and inhaled deeply. His pillow smelled just like him, woodsy and delicious.

I bit my bottom lip as Paul ran his fingers from my shoulders to my hips, where he gripped firmly. He spread my knees out a little further and I could feel the head of his manhood gently pushing against me. I couldn't take it; I slammed against him, causing a long stream of obscenities and my name to pour out of Paul's mouth. He continued with deep thrusts and in this position he was taking me to new places I'd never been. My brain felt like it was pooling in my eyes and spilling out of my ears.

Words that I never thought I would ever say were falling from my mouth without my control.

"FUCK, Paul, FUCK me like I'm your BITCH," actually came out of my mouth. I couldn't fucking believe myself. Had I completely lost my mind?

He growled a deep, guttural sound and I felt his hands tighten after I shouted my demand.

"God, Leah, unghh, I can't stop… I can't stop… I'm coming… SHIT," and Paul collapsed on top of me.

We were flushed, sweating, and covered in each other. I couldn't see anything because I had shoved my face into the pillow. When I finally looked up, Paul's perfect smile was grinning at me.

"'Like I'm your bitch'? Damn, babe, I'm going to have a hard time not thinking about that one constantly."

"Oh, God, please don't! I'll die from embarrassment. Speaking of the pack, what time is it?" I looked around the room for the first time and noticed that is was very clean and neatly decorated. No slobs here.

"It's noon, Leah. We have to get going. But if you can wash quickly we can shower first."

I though about not showering for a second, but then I realized who we were going to talk to and that the conversation would be awkward enough without the two of us reeking of sex, so I climbed up off of the bed and followed Paul to the shower.

We managed to just get clean and not try to fuck each other again in the shower, which was tough for us both. We dressed quickly and I opted to leave my panties at Paul's because they were soaked. I guessed it wouldn't really matter if I had to phase anyway.

Once we were back in the car, I asked Paul what he had said to Sam.

"I just told him that I had to talk to him and that it was important. I mentioned you'd be there, but I didn't tell him why." Paul began to look a little nervous again and I could hear the stress in his voice.

"Um, do I have to lead this conversation? I mean, you imprinted, I accepted, right? How could Sam deny that?"

"I got this, Leah. If shit gets bad, we'll take off for a little while so everyone can calm down. I don't think it'll come to that, though. I hope it won't."

We pulled into the restaurant parking lot, went inside and found a table in the far back corner away from all of the other patrons. We looked at the menus and ordered drinks while we waited for Sam.

I audibly gasped when I looked up from my coke and saw Sam standing in the doorway. I avoided seeing him as much as I could, and it had been a while since we'd spoken as humans. It made all the pain new and fresh every time I looked at him, but now it felt different; like it was going to be okay because now Paul was at my side.

Sam spotted us in the corner and walked over to our table with a very serious face. He ordered a drink and some food before he even really addressed our presence. His face was a mask; I couldn't read a single emotion on his face anymore.

"Is this what it looks like, or am I wrong in my assumptions?" Sam's deep voice startled me, even though I had heard it so many times before.

Paul started speaking before I could figure out what Sam was assuming.

"Sam, I imprinted on Leah yesterday. I don't know why it took so long or what changed to make it happen, but it's for real. And she accepted me. So I guess if that's what you were assuming, you were correct." Paul had managed to look Sam in the eye, while I was too busy trying to bury my face in my food that had just arrived. I shoved a fry in my mouth quickly and cast a sideways glance to Paul's chest. His breathing was steady, but a little fast.

"Leah, is this true?" Sam seemed a lot more uncomfortable than he had been about five minutes ago. I could tell there was still some small part of him that ached to be with me, but we both knew that that was never going to happen again.

I pulled a long sip off of my coke, shut my eyes for a second, and looked up at Sam's determined gaze.

"Yes. I'm Paul's imprint. I don't get it either, but I want to be with him. I don't think you could ever stop me." I tacked on that little "typical Leah" snide remark just to show that even though I was nervous, I wasn't going down without a fight.

Sam sat quietly for a minute, clearly wrestling with some difficult emotions. We all sat in silence and ate our food. The tension was so thick; I had a hard time even swallowing my fries. I looked over at Paul and ached to grab his hand and run out of the restaurant, but I couldn't. This is what we had to do.

After what felt like forever, Sam spoke. "An imprint is not something that can be ignored. As difficult as this may be, the pack will accept your imprint."

I nearly choked on my burger. Did he just say it was okay? But Sam wasn't finished.

"Leah, will you continue phasing?"

"Um, yeah, I don't see why not." I couldn't figure out where he was going with this.

"Paul, how do you feel about Leah phasing?" Um, hello, I'm right fucking here. What does it matter what Paul thinks about me phasing? I'm a fucking shape shifter.

Paul's eyes darted away from mine. He was uncomfortable about something, and I knew I was about to get a damn earful.

"Honestly, I would love it if she could stop. I don't want to worry about losing her to some fucking leech and I can't always protect her."

WHAT THE HELL WAS I HEARING?

My hands started to shake and I felt the heat rising inside of me. My breathing became ragged and it took all I had not to blow out my shape right there in the restaurant.

"You can't fucking tell me this! What the hell else am I going to do?"

Hot tears welled up in my eyes and the pain I felt was mirrored in the expressions of both Sam and Paul. Clearly they wanted the best for me, but why did they fucking think they knew what that was?

"Leah, babe, calm down. We don't want to tell you what to do, we just want you safe. I want you safe." Paul's voice was ringing true in my ears and as much as I wanted to phase right there, I slowed my breathing and my hands stopped shaking.

"We have to tell the tribal council and you two have to tell the pack. The council may have a way to help us through this so no one gets hurt. I will meet with the council tomorrow." Sam was so matter-of-fact, I wondered what was happening inside his head watching his former love with his pack brother.

I was still pissed, but not so much that I was ready to phase. Paul and Sam discussed the best way to tell the pack, and I half-listened. I was more concerned with what the council would say about me having an imprint. I was always such a quandary for the council, first she-wolf and all.

My ears perked up when Paul asked Sam about guarding his thoughts. I needed to hear this part.

"I focus on what needs to be done. I think about training, fighting technique, and other specific needs of the pack. Try not to let your mind wander when you phase. It also helps you stay tuned in to your pack mates." Sam was all business, even now. I absently thought of what Emily would say to him later.

We finished up our food, paid the check and left the restaurant. Once outside, all three of us caught a sickly sweet scent that was much closer than it should have been.

Fucking leeches.

Sam, Paul, and I ran into the woods and quickly stripped of our clothes and phased. We were met with the thoughts of Jared and Quil, who had been out for a run of the perimeter.

_Sam, he just took off to the North._ Jared quickly explained.

_Leah and Paul run a line north to the edge of the treaty line. These leeches aren't vegetarians. Be careful. Quil and Jared split up along the Northeast and Northwest line and track it down._

Paul and I both took off at a steady pace and struggled to keep our thoughts focused on vampire hunting and not the amazingly hot afternoon we just enjoyed. It wasn't easy to keep my thoughts in check.

Quil was the first to catch an errant thought from Paul's vivid memory. Shit.

_What the hell was that, Paul? You _imprinted_ on Leah?_

_Yes, but stay focused. Now is not the time for this discussion._

_Thanks, Paul._ I gave my thoughts up to vampires and hunting, and I managed not to slip once during our run to the North.

Unfortunately, we lost the scent before the end of the treaty line, and we weren't playing games with that line anymore. The Cullens could deal with a stray leech or two.

Sam relieved us of our duties and we trotted back to the restaurant to recover our clothes and my car. Once Paul wasn't focused on hunting, his thoughts aimlessly wandered back to last night and our time together.

_Damn, Leah. Hot. Way to go Paul._ Fucking Jared. At least he wasn't totally gross. He left that up to Quil.

_I'm never going to be able to sleep again. Seriously, guys- it's better than porn. Poor Seth is gonna see that later on his shift._

_Quil, I swear to God, I will rip your fucking head off. Keep that shit to yourself. _I really didn't want to have Seth get the fucking play-by-play of his older sister's sex life.

_Whatever, Leah. That's some seriously hot shit, it's gonna be hard to ignore, hahaha._ Grrrrrr. I'm gonna kill him.

_Back off, guys. She's my girl now, treat her with some fucking respect._ Mmm, my Paul. Not that I needed his help keeping the boys in line, but it was nice to know he had my back.

We had reached the restaurant and phased back and dressed in the woods. Paul grabbed my hand as we walked back to my car.

"That went better than I thought," Paul said while staring off into the horizon.

"Mmm-hmm. But we still have to have a serious discussion, you and me." I was pissed about that "no phasing" business and I wasn't about to forget it.

Paul shook his head in agreement, but it was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked Paul with honest curiosity.

He paused for what felt like a really long time. I was starting to get nervous again, but I wasn't really sure why. The pack accepted the imprint and the rest of the details would all get worked out over time.

"I want you to meet my mother."

Oh God. This was going to be scarier than talking to Sam.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I dropped Paul off at his house after our lunch with Sam so he could get ready for work. He worked with Jared and Embry as Native guides for local tourists who wanted the traditional fishing and hiking experience. The hours were flexible and he could easily trade shifts with the guys if some vampy bullshit came up. He was scheduled for a tour at 3 o'clock this afternoon. While we sat in his driveway, he had asked about how I would talk to my mom and Seth.

"Is she gonna be mad at you? I mean, I'm not exactly the best catch in the pack." He was honestly a little shy right now. I wanted to punch him in the head for acting so insecure.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Quit being such a fucking pussy. She already knows you, but she doesn't know anything about you. And trust me; my mom isn't the one you should be worried about."

Paul had set his jaw and had squinted his eyes tightly when I'd called him a pussy. He fucking hated that; it was a challenge to his manhood, and I sort of did it on purpose. I was hoping he'd slam me against the door and take me again. I really was a sick bitch.

His reaction was what I'd hoped it would be- hot and angry. His hand was around my throat, just tight enough to make me gasp a little, and his set jaw was an inch from my cheek. He growled at me and I looked into his almost-black eyes.

"I'm not a fucking pussy." Ohmygod. I was gasping as the wetness pooled between my legs, threatening to ruin the upholstery of my Lincoln. My panties were in Paul's house, and my denim skirt did nothing for coverage.

Paul's hand grabbed my thigh and registered the puddle he had caused. A dark smirk stretched across his face and he slipped his middle finger inside me. I squealed, but the sound was choked as Paul's hand was around my neck.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you, you hot, crazy bitch?" He growled into my ear and I was panting like I'd just finished a marathon.

"Don't…call me…a…bitch…ughhhh…" I could barely strangle out the words when he slammed his mouth against mine, aggressively biting my bottom lip and thrusting with his hand.

I was coming in seconds again. What the hell was Paul doing to me? Honestly, I didn't care as long as he didn't stop.

He eased his grip on my neck and slid his finger out of me. His face had relaxed, and again, he was clearly proud of himself for what he could do to me. He sucked on his middle finger like it was covered in honey-so sexy, but also like he was flipping me off. Fuck, that was so insanely hot; I had to remember to insult Paul's manhood on a regular basis if that was how he'd react. I finally caught my breath and looked down at myself. It looked like I was in for a third shower today.

"You were saying your mom isn't the one I should worry about. So who should I be worried about?" Paul spoke calmly as he absently picked a bit of fuzz off of his jeans.

I was dizzy still and it was hard for me to realize Paul was waiting for me to answer him.

"Are you okay, babe?" His face showed the tiniest twinge of panic when it took me so long to answer.

"Yeah, just, you kind of blow my mind. It's hard to think straight anymore." I brought my hand up to my face, and half-slapped my cheek. Paul was laughing now.

"Good to know what kind of effect I have on you, Leah."

Finally, I collected my thoughts and managed to spit out what I'd been trying to say.

"You should be worried about Seth. He's younger than me, but he's crazy protective of my feelings. Ever since Sam left me, Seth's been the guardian of my heart. He's the reason I haven't killed any of the pack. Before we phase together, he puts my mind in the right place so I don't completely flip my shit and if I phase without him, I make sure I think about what he's told me to keep my mind straight. He might be smaller and younger, but you should still be careful with your thoughts about me when you guys are phased together. He's likely to rip out your throat if your thoughts about me are anything but pure."

Paul listened to my explanation intently, not scoffing it off because he could tell that it was important to me. I could see him processing what I'd said when he furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together in a straight line.

"Well, I don't want to make it harder for Seth than it already is. I will do my damnedest to keep my thoughts clean, but it's going to be tough, especially if you keep insulting me and making me prove you wrong." He winked at me and shoved me with his elbow.

"I gotta go babe, I have to get ready for this tour. I'll call you tonight when I'm done. It should be around 7 or so." He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to mine, thoroughly screwing my brain as his tongue flicked against my bottom lip.

"I love you." Shit, again he took my breath away. His fingertips danced along my jaw line and he backed out of the car.

"I love you, too," I gasped in response.

Once I got back home, my mom was finally there, sitting at the kitchen table paying the bills. Seth was in the living room, still playing Call of Duty. I couldn't understand how he could play that shit for so many hours and not get bored.

"Hi, Mom," I smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked at me as if I had punched her in the stomach and stolen her purse.

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" She accused with a sparkle in her eyes. She knew right away that something was up. I had been such a miserable excuse for a human for so long; she forgot what I was like when I was happy. That was a fucking sad thought.

"Um, nothing Mom- I'm fine, really." She looked at me like I was on drugs.

"Leah, I am not an idiot. Please don't treat me like one. You're glowing like a friggin' Christmas tree. Spill it already. Did you meet someone?"

I guess I couldn't really hide it for much longer. It was pretty obvious that I was out of my funk and that something was going on. Paul's new devotion to me had really fucked with my brain. That and the explosive orgasms he kept providing were making me destroy the very little clothing I had left. Looks like I might actually have to go shopping again. Maybe it would be okay if Paul went with me. Ahh, a girl could hope. Maybe I'd have to challenge him to marathon sex session so he'd take me. Mmmm, what was I doing here in the kitchen again? Oh, right, telling Mom and Seth. Damn it.

"Um, well, yes and no. I mean, I didn't just meet him, but we are sort of seeing each other. Seth, can you come in here, please?" I squeaked out the last question.

My stomach was twisting up in knots knowing I had to tell my little brother about Paul. I mean, I know he's my "little" brother, but Seth really had a huge part in me dealing with the pain of losing Sam and, more recently, the loss of our dad. As sweet and innocent as he could be, he had also become fiercely protective of me and our mom. There was no way I could predict his reaction, but my stomach was sure it was going to suck.

"Hang on; I'll be done in a minute." Seth finished up his battle, or whatever the hell they were called, clicked off his game and bounded into the kitchen.

"Hey. What's for dinner, Mom? I'm starved." Seth rubbed his flat belly, which never showed how much he could actually eat. His appetite was like all the rest of us- voracious. We were pretty much always hungry, thinking about what we just ate, or planning what we would eat next. I tried to ignore it as much as I could. Even though I didn't gain a lot of weight, it just made me feel disgusting to be eating constantly.

"I'm beat, Seth. Just order some pizzas. The menu is next to the fridge." Seth grabbed the menu, ordered 4 large pizzas with toppings, and sat down at the counter next to Mom.

"So what's up, Leah? Why did you meet with Sam today?" Seth's face again was curious, but he definitely had a little bit of anxiety creeping into his voice.

"You met with Sam? Seriously, what have you done with my daughter?" My mom looked at me like I was completely fucking nuts. Seth, however, noted something in my face that made his entire sunny demeanor change. He crossed his arms across his chest, crushed his eyebrows together, and clenched his jaw. My sweet little brother looked menacing. It gave me a chill down my spine I couldn't ignore.

"Who is it?" Seth spat the question across the table and it felt like the words slapped me across the cheek.

I looked down at my hands on the table, curled into fists again, even though I wasn't mad. Well, at least, not yet.

"Leah, tell us. Who is it?" Seth was clearly not going to take this well. He had defended me time and time again against Paul's incessant attacks and insults, and I knew he wasn't going to be reserved and controlled like Sam had been.

I sucked in a huge rush of air (I was doing that a lot- it was getting annoying to constantly brace myself from other people's reactions) released my fists and said, "Paul. He imprinted yesterday."

"OH HELL NO!" Seth punched the kitchen table with both fists and I felt bad for our little kitchen table. But at least it wasn't my face. He was absolutely furious; I wanted to comfort him, but I knew he had to let out his frustration, so I just backed away from the table a little. My mom put her arm on Seth's shoulder as if to remind him to not phase in her tiny kitchen, and Seth sat back down in the chair so hard it creaked in reply.

"This is BULLSHIT, Leah! That asshole treated you like SHIT for months, and now you are just over it and WITH HIM?" His words made me wince and my hands went into fists again.

"Seth, I know you're upset, but watch your language in my house. If you need to go phase, do it outside. But the pizza will be here any minute and it would do you good to eat something. Imprinting is not anyone's fault." My mom was so level-headed. I hoped that one day I could be as even as her, but I doubted that would happen. Apparently Seth and I had inherited our father's hot-headedness.

My mom turned to look at me now. "Why did he imprint so much later? For everyone else, it was at first sight. I mean, you saw each other almost every day for months."

Seth's heavy breathing and clenched jaw did not make it easy to have this conversation at all. His eyes were burning holes through me and I was a little afraid he would jump across the table and tackle me.

"Well, we aren't sure why it took so long. I mean, one minute he was shoving me down a mountain," Seth's growling was so loud the floor was shaking, "and the next he imprinted. But it's for real. I know it's real." The tears were welling up again. Seeing Seth so angry brought up all of those feelings from Sam, the physical and mental pain Paul had caused me so many times, and the loss of our beloved Dad.

"Seth, please, just listen to me." I was pleading, reaching for anything to get him to hear me out.

There was a loud knock on the door. The pizzas had arrived. My mom grabbed her wallet from her purse and went to pay for the pizza.

"Seth, be nice." She ordered as she walked out of the kitchen.

As soon as she was out of the door, Seth jumped up and laid into me hard.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you, Leah? Paul is an asshole, through and through, and nothing is going to fucking change that! How could you let this happen? You don't have to accept an imprint, you know? He's going to fucking RUIN YOU!" Seth was seething, bright red, and I swear it looked like smoke was pouring out of his ears.

I wished I could make my feet move so I could get away from Seth's fury, but I couldn't. I was frozen in the kitchen, sobbing my face off.

"Seth, please, you don't understand. He's for real. For once, my heart doesn't ache. Please, just try…" I was choking on my tears that were further ruining my clothes.

Seth cut me off mid-sentence. "NO. You're fucking insane if you think I'm just going to accept this and move on. What if he's just playing you, Leah? What if it's just a trick to completely destroy you? What if it's Sam's idea? How can you be sure he's not trying to get rid of you? Don't be fucking naïve!"

Every question Seth spit into my face was like a punch to the chest. Paul just playing me? Tricking me?- ow. Sam's idea?-OW. Trying to get rid of me? FUCKING OW.

"SETH, STOP IT! I can't take this! Don't be so fucking MEAN!" I finally cracked, of course, right when Mom came back into the kitchen with the pizza just in time to hear me cursing. But she didn't reprimand me for swearing because I was slumped on the kitchen floor, sobbing like Seth had actually hit me.

Seth was still seeing red, and even though my chest was aching and burning from his words and my tears, I was impressed at his ability not to phase when he was that angry. He was still fairly young, and his control was shocking.

Mom looked at Seth with that stern "mom-look" and Seth crossed his arms and slumped back down in the chair. He was still furious, but he had said what he needed to say for now. Mom grabbed a kitchen towel and wet it a little under the faucet. She crouched down next to me and wiped my face with the towel. I was still sobbing, my shoulders slumped and my legs sprawled out under me. The cool towel helped me stifle the sobs, and Mom's hand smoothing my hair helped me get a grip on reality.

"Leah, honey, let's just calm down and eat something, okay? Seth won't say anything else right now." She shot a glance Seth's way that could have burned down the forest. He uncrossed his arms and threw his hands up in the air, proving that he was done, at least for the moment.

I grabbed the back of the chair for leverage and pulled myself back up to the table. We ate in silence, the tension still incredibly thick in the air. I was practically choking on it. When we had all finished eating, I dared a glance at Seth's face. I had never seen him so angry in my entire life. As hardcore as I could be, his explosion of anger made me feel like I was five years old again, and I'd just broken my dad's favorite fishing pole. Dad never hit me, but he never had to; his words stung worse than any smack or slap. I saw my father in Seth's face now. He looked just like him, and if he hadn't hurt me so badly with his harsh words, I might have appreciated his desire to protect me.

I excused myself from the table and stomped off to the bathroom. Now I really _needed_ that third shower. I was covered in salty tears, sweat, and probably pizza sauce, since I hadn't really paid attention to keeping it neat while I was eating.

I let the hot water pour over my face and the tears welled up, stinging my sore eyes. I just wanted to be happy again. Why the fuck was that so hard? Paul made me happy. Yes, I knew that was pretty unbelievable, but it was the truth. I hoped that Seth would find a way to accept it and understand that Paul was mine now. He was what I wanted.

I toweled off, slinked off to my room and dressed quickly. I glanced at the clock and it was already 7:30 pm. Paul would be done with his tour now. I wondered for a second if he would call me or if I should call him. I couldn't remember what we had agreed to do, so I just ran my brush through my hair and tried to think about how to deal with Seth.

The doorbell rang. Oh shit. Paul. I raced to the front door, but Seth already had his hand around the doorknob, tugging the front door open wide. Of course, it was Paul standing in the door frame, looking exceptionally hot as always. Unfortunately, Seth was standing between us and I couldn't get Paul's attention to warn him about Seth's terrible reaction to his imprinting.

Seth's fury was still bubbling over like a pot of spicy chili on a stove and his white knuckles on the door, set jaw and blazing eyes were a testament to that fact.

I looked at Paul with wide eyes, mouthed "sorry," and bit my bottom lip.

This was going to be terrifically bad.

"Hey, Seth," Paul mumbled and tried to avoid Seth's burning face.

"What the _fuck_, Paul? My fucking _sister_? You need to get your ass out back. Now."

Seth stormed through the house, stripping off his clothes as he went. When he hit the back door, he was down to just boxers. Fuck. This was going to be _really bad_.

Paul's mouth dropped open, shocked to see Seth behaving so far out of character. He looked at me with wide eyes and it was hard not to notice his perfect cheekbones again. I wanted to chew on his face he was so damned delicious, but, at the moment, we had an angry wolf to deal with in the backyard.

Paul planted a kiss on my forehead, and started pulling off his t-shirt.

"Hi, Mrs. Clearwater. I'm, um, sorry about this." Paul mumbled shyly to my mother, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the exchange between her son and my mate.

"Just don't break any of my furniture." Mom was so bad-ass.

"I'm phasing with you." I looked up at Paul's face and started walking to the back door with him.

"No, you're not. Please, Leah, just let me handle this. I won't hurt him, and if you are phased with us, he's going to see everything at once and try to kill us both. Just stay in the house and do me a favor. Call Jared or Quil and tell them I might need some help explaining this to Seth?"

I was fuming that he was telling me not to phase again. What the fuck was the problem? This is who I am- the she-wolf. If he thought he was going to strip me of my abilities (that, privately, I wished I never had) he had another thing coming.

"Fuck off, Paul. He's my brother. I'm coming with you." I tried to push past his hard, bare chest (gah, so hot and distracting) but he grabbed my arm and growled in my ear.

"Just fucking listen to me for once, woman. I swear to you, I will let you take it out on me later, but just let me fucking handle this." His hot breath and harsh words instantly made my knees buckle and I could feel the muscles tightening in my core. I clearly wasn't going to win this argument, and with the promise of taking it out on him later, I dropped my arms and let him go.

Paul walked out the back door of the house, unbuttoning his jeans and walking into the trees to phase. Seth's giant gray wolf form was pacing back and forth against the tree line, pawing at the ground and kicking up leaves and dirt.

I ran to the phone and quickly dialed Jared's number. He answered after one ring, like he'd been sitting right next to the phone waiting for a call.

"Hello?"

"Jared, it's Leah. Can you come over, like, now? Seth is phased with Paul and freaking out."

"Shit, I'll go phase and be there in two minutes. Should I get the others?"

"It might be a good idea to call Quil and Embry, too, if you can. I'm kind of afraid that Seth's going to rip Paul's head off."

I shook my head at the thought that crossed my mind. Just yesterday, I was aching to rip Paul's head off and now, here I was, pleading with my pack mates to protect him from my little brother. Oh, what a sick and twisted bitch fate could be.

I could hear snarling, growling and general mayhem from my backyard and I was a little afraid to look. I mean, technically, Paul was the bigger, more experienced wolf, but Seth was fucking livid. Controlling or even matching his level of fury was going to be a challenge, even for Paul.

I started to pace back and forth in the living room, staring out the back window watching Seth and Paul circle each other. It was fucking killing me to be stuck inside. I really didn't think this was a good idea for me to sit this one out, but Paul basically promised a night of heaven if I could survive this evening of hell.

Fuck. Part of me wished I could hear what the hell was going on in their heads, but a larger part of me was glad that I couldn't. I knew that I was the subject of contention and it made me nauseous to know that all these boys were all over my fucking business.

I was debating calling Sam, but I really didn't want to hear his voice. He still made the bile rise in my throat, even though I now had my own imprint. The other boys could handle Seth and hopefully end this drama without too much bloodshed and broken bones.

Mom came in the room and assessed my demeanor. She grabbed my shoulders just as Jared, Quil and Embry trotted into the yard. The three huge wolves stood between Seth and Paul, and I knew now that I didn't have to worry as much. There was no way they couldn't work this out. Right?

I was pushed into the kitchen, and reluctantly, I sat down with Mom at the table.

"Leah, it's going to be fine." She sighed deeply. "You and Seth are so much like your father, it's unbelievable. Trust me, the boys will knock some sense into him, Paul will show him his imprint is real, and they will all be back in the house eating everything in sight, as usual." She was probably right.

I struggled with my anger and frustration knowing that I was always the cause of contention among my pack mates. The fact that I was going to be with Paul on a regular basis was just going to complicate this shit even more. Maybe that's what Sam was getting at about me not phasing. Or it was just some Alpha bullshit. I still wasn't sure.

The sound of serious carnage was echoing throughout our small house. My stomach was twisting in knots and if I had clenched my jaw any tighter, my teeth might shatter. Again, I wanted to phase just to hear them, but thought better of it. I convinced myself that obeying Paul's directive would pay off later.

The growling and snarling coming from the backyard suddenly stopped. I wasn't sure if it was because someone had their throat ripped out or if they had phased back. I hoped it was the latter, but I couldn't be sure until I looked outside. My mom grabbed my shoulders again and said, "Just wait, Leah. Let them get dressed."

I heard the sliding glass door being pushed open, and the loud voices of my pack mates laughing and shoving each other.

"Damn, Seth, we didn't think you had it in you!" Quil playfully punched Seth in the arm.

"Seriously, bro, I thought you were gonna kill Paul!" Jared's voice danced into the kitchen.

Embry just chuckled at the others as all five of them poured their huge bodies into our small kitchen.

"Everything square, boys?" My mother's calm, even tone hushed all of them quickly.

"Yeah, Mom, everything's cool." Seth had rapidly returned to his normal self- sunny, easy-going, and friendly. "Do we have any ice cream?"

Paul's small smile danced at the corners of his mouth as he eyed my still-tense frame in the corner. He crossed the distance of the small kitchen in two steps and reached down for my hand, which was still balled tight into a fist. He tried to pry my fingers apart, but I was still pretty stressed about the whole exchange between him and my brother. My mouth was still crushed into a hard line.

"Come on, let's take a walk. I'll tell you everything that happened, really." He breathed the words into my ear, again sending a shiver down my spine and melting me to my toes.

I glanced at my mom, who was elbows deep into the freezer pulling out three huge tubs of ice cream, which would most likely be gone before we got back. Embry, Jared, Quil, and Seth were sitting around the table passing around bowls and spoons, laughing at something stupid Quil had said. Mom looked up and mouthed the word, "go" to me.

I opened my fist, grabbed Paul's hand, unclenched my jaw, and walked out of the kitchen.

"You'd better tell me every single detail. If you miss anything, I'll pick it out of your head next time we phase and kick your ass."

He lowered his dark eyes to meet mine, smirked that wicked, sexy grin and said, "Promise?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Paul and I aimlessly wandered down the side of the dirt road in front of my house. My heart was still racing from the whole experience, and even though I was pretty pissed about not being allowed to phase, I was starting to relax. Paul was looking straight ahead, waiting until I prompted him to begin telling the story.

"Okay, now, what the hell happened out there?" The frustration seeped into my voice and Paul noticed. He grabbed my hand a bit tighter and spun me toward him. He caught my gaze in his piercing eyes and it was like he was looking into my soul.

"It's all cool now, Leah." He was practically cooing in my face like I was an infant, and I wish I could say it was embarrassing and demeaning, but it wasn't. His power over the basest functions of my body was uncanny. I was always steeled against any assault, whether it was emotional or physical, but now, with Paul, I was losing all of my resolve completely.

"Uh-huh…okay… but… tell me, please?" His gaze into my eyes had me whimpering. The sarcastic bitch in me was frustrated that in such a short time, Paul had not only gotten into my pants, but also my heart. But this was meant to be, and if it meant some time drooling like a fucking asshole while Paul melted my heart and my panties, so be it.

Paul held my gaze for a moment longer, leaned down and pressed his lips against mine gently.

"Seth was barking some pretty hardcore shit when I got out there. He said he'd happily rip out my throat if I ever hurt you again. He screamed that I was a fucking asshole and that every time I had hurt you, you went home and cursed me for all eternity for being such a bastard to you." Paul's perfect face fell. I could see how much he had regretted all of those violent attacks during our training sessions, but I also knew that he had been following Sam's private orders to be tough on me.

Paul sighed and bit the side of his bottom lip. I died a little when he did that. It was the most vulnerable he'd ever looked, and I could hardly stand that he was mine now.

I urged him to keep talking, even though it was extremely difficult to stay focused on the conversation I'd made him promise to have.

"Um, yeah, I did that, but it's over now. What happened next?" I tried to keep Paul talking.

"Seth started screaming about family and how I wouldn't understand what it was like to be put in the position of caretaker so young. He filled my head with images of you crying after Sam left you, sobbing at your father's funeral, and after all of the times I had beaten you during training. He made me feel your pain and it nearly crushed me. It was agonizing. I had no idea how much you and Seth had been through together." Paul looked away from me again, and I swear I saw a tear well up in his left eye. He took a deep breath and continued.

"So right when I thought he was going to attack, Jared, Quil and Embry showed up. They jumped between us and started talking Seth down from his fury. Once he stopped screaming at me, he gave me a chance to show him how I really felt about you now, and how this imprint was for real."

"What did you show him?" I knew it wasn't something intimate; that would have just made Seth insane again.

"Well, I showed him how I felt when you went tumbling down the hill. And then I showed him what you looked like to me now." Paul looked back into my eyes, melting me just a little bit more.

"What would that be?" God, he was truly what I had been waiting for my entire life.

"You are my angel… my heart and soul and I can't live without you ever again. I showed him how awful I felt for ever causing you pain and how I wished I could take every moment back. He also saw that I wanted to spend every waking moment of my life ensuring your happiness. Seth couldn't deny it after that."

Paul's perfect mouth kissed both of my eyelids, which I had squeezed shut to stop the floodgates from pouring down my cheeks again. I was fucking crying so much. It was like Paul's touch had destroyed the dam of emotion I had been hiding behind for so damn long, even my own mother didn't know who the hell I was anymore.

"Leah, I love you, no matter what, okay?" He held my face in his hands for a moment before he placed another gentle kiss on my lips.

"I love you, too, Paul. Let's go back inside. I'm exhausted and Seth owes me a fucking apology." I started to pull Paul's arm toward my home, but he resisted, standing firm.

"You coming?" I was confused as to why he was still standing there, staring at me with a strange expression on his face.

"Are you going to come meet my family tomorrow?" Shit. I knew this was coming, but again, something I wasn't ready for yet. Paul's imprinting was taking me so far out of my comfort zone. Not that my comfort zone had really ever been comfortable; it was more like a dark, miserable cave of anguish.

"Does it have to be tomorrow? Couldn't we just have a couple of days with just you and me?" I was grasping at straws, hoping he would just give me a few days to really wrap my head around this whole situation.

Paul flexed his jaw and furrowed his brow just a little. I could tell he wanted to tell his family right away, but I wasn't ready for that kind of intense scrutiny just yet.

"You have two days. You are coming over to meet my mom and my aunt for dinner on Friday, and you're wearing a dress." There was no question in his tone. This was what was going to happen because he said so, whether I liked it or not.

"What the fuck, Paul? Now you are telling me what to do?" I snapped out of my haze of happiness and realized I was being pushed around and didn't like it very much.

He grabbed my wrist hard and spun my body against his. He was stronger than me, and he wasn't letting me squirm out of this hold.

"Yes, I'm telling you what to do. Fuck, somebody has to or you are just gonna run buck wild your whole damn life." His devilish grin was plastered across his face, clearly antagonizing me with his leveled challenge on my personal will.

"Damn it, Paul." I was gasping for air again. "Whatever. Fine. You still owe me for tonight's little episode. And if you want me to wear a dress, we have to go shopping. I'm out of nearly my entire wardrobe and I'm blaming you for all the underwear you are sure to ruin." My jaw was set. Looked like I might get everything I wanted. If Paul conceded to take me shopping, I knew this whole dress business was serious.

With our faces just inches apart, his eyes bored holes into me as he debated how he would respond to my demands.

"Okay. There's no backing out now. Everyone knows and if you don't meet my mom soon, she's going to find out we're together and that I didn't tell her right away. I don't need that kind of stress in my life. We can go shopping tomorrow. I don't have a tour until 2 o'clock."

Looks like I'm getting everything I wanted. Well, minus the "meet-the-mom" part; that already had my heart racing and my mind swirling.

Paul's lips moved through the tiny space that was between us and slammed into my mouth hard. He was an amazing kisser, and it was obvious that when I challenged him, he met me with fury and passion. We kissed deeply for a minute and then I reluctantly stopped him.

"Come on, let's go back. Seth is gonna get an earful for making me fucking cry. You don't want to miss this." I grinned a mischievous smile and pulled Paul toward my home. This time, he followed willingly, apparently pleased that he'd got what he wanted from me.

Fuck. A dress? Was he high?

We quickly made our way into the house and heard the boy's loud voices in the living room. They had apparently eaten all of the ice cream in the house and moved on to Seth's video games. Paul and I walked to the room and stood in the doorway.

"Seth, get your skinny ass over here. We need to talk." I fiercely grabbed Seth's attention away from the TV screen. He wasn't going to get away with his behavior.

Seth's eyes darted over to my face, and his happy smile fell into a small frown. He'd surely known what was coming. I'd never let him get away with an outburst like that. And he made me fucking cry, damn it.

Seth walked across the living room and handed Paul his controller. Paul bounded into the room and took Seth's place on the couch. Boys were so simple sometimes.

Seth's face was twisted up like he'd just sucked on a lemon.

"I'm sorry I cursed at you, Leah." Good, he was sucking up.

"Yeah, and what else are you sorry for? You'd better say it if you know what's good for you."

"Um, I'm sorry for saying mean things about Paul. I get it now." Seth was shifting uncomfortably from his left to his right and avoiding my piercing gaze.

"What else?" I pushed him.

"Well, I'm sorry I made you cry. That wasn't nice."

"No, it wasn't. What else?" He was going to have to say it all, damn it.

"I'm sorry I attacked Paul without letting him tell his side first. That was stupid."

"You're God-damn-right it was stupid. He could have freaking killed you if he hadn't been in control of himself. I, of all people, know that from experience." I shuddered a little as a flash of Paul's furious face danced in my memory. I hoped the only time I would ever see that face again was when we were battling the enemy.

"Okay, Leah. I get it. I was a jerk and I'm really sorry I reacted like that. But you do have to see where I'm coming from. It wasn't exactly easy to accept or understand and I just don't want you to get hurt."

I sighed. Seth was right. I mean, his reaction was fucking stupid, but he was right in his need to protect me.

"Fine, Seth. You're forgiven. Go back to your stupid game." Seth threw his arms around me and whispered, "love you, sis" in my ear and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I pushed him off of me and muttered, "ditto."

Paul came out of the living room and caught me yawning hugely. I was exhausted. The last two days were like a rollercoaster and I hadn't really had a chance to sit down or relax at all.

"Babe, why don't you go to sleep? I'll come by and pick you up in the morning."

"You're really going to take me shopping?" I still didn't actually believe he'd take me.

"Are you really going to meet my mom?"

I winced. Of course he'd go there.

"Yes."

"Well then I'll see you at 8. Night, babe." Paul kissed me sweetly and gently pushed my behind toward my bedroom. I didn't have the energy to yell at him for pushing me or touching my ass in my mother's house, so I just trudged down the hallway, opened my door, and fell face first on the bed. I was asleep in seconds.

I had a horrible nightmare that night. I was running in the woods, chasing another disgusting leech off of our territory, and suddenly I wasn't alone in my head. Sam was barking orders at me to take the left flank and he'd get the right. I obeyed, and he was at my side seconds later. Suddenly the leech froze in his tracks. He turned and appeared to challenge Sam to a fight. Sam told me to stay back so he could take care of it. Sam crouched and pounced, but the leech grabbed Sam by the throat and ripped it out. I howled as loudly as I possibly could, but no one was there. The leech ran off, and I sat screaming and crying in a pile of leaves with Sam's blood pouring out all around me.

I woke up screaming, shaking, crying, and covered in sweat. What the hell was that about? My fucking brain felt like scrambled eggs. Seth woke up suddenly when I'd screamed and he was at my side with his hand in mine. This wasn't the first time I'd had nightmares. I used to have them all the time, especially after Dad died. Seth had gotten used to comforting me and reminding me that dreams weren't real and that everything was going to be okay.

"Leah, what did you dream about? It's okay, you can tell me." Seth handed me a tissue from my nightstand and I swiped my eyes and face with it. I was panting and it took me a minute to catch my breath and realize that it was just a dream.

"It was, um, Sam. I was chasing some bloodsucker in the woods and then Sam was next to me. He attacked the leech, but he ripped out Sam's throat and I was sitting all alone with Sam's blood pouring out all around me." I gasped as I replayed the scene in my head. My dreams were so vivid; it was hard to remember that they weren't reality.

"Leah, it's okay. Sam's fine. You're probably just feeling strange about being with Paul and not knowing what's going to happen with Sam. Don't worry about it, okay?" Seth's voice was soothing and he helped me see that Sam didn't get hurt in my dream and that it wasn't my fault, anyway.

"I'm okay now, bro. What time is it?" I searched my room for my small alarm clock and spotted it on the floor, smashed into a million pieces. Damn it. That was my fourth alarm clock this month. An annoying side effect of being a shape shifter was constantly destroying shit while you were sleeping. I apparently let my frustration out on my poor clock while I was still sleeping.

"It's seven-thirty. You okay? I'm gonna go back to sleep if you are good."

"Yeah, Seth, I'm alright now. Go back to bed."

Seth let go of my hand and stumbled over the mess of my alarm clock as he went back to his room. I hopped out of bed, went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Paul would be here any minute to take me shopping. I smirked at myself for managing to get that little provision in before I met his mother. Shopping for clothes… this was going to be interesting to say the least.

I heard a quick "knock-knock" on the front door, grabbed my keys and my small purse, and opened the door.

Damn. Every time I looked at Paul now, I felt like I died a little. He made my heart skip a beat, a lump rise in my throat, and a tightness form in the pit of my stomach. I guess my mouth was hanging open, because Paul laughed a little and pushed my jaw closed with his finger.

"You're gonna have to get used to looking at me without drooling all over yourself, Clearwater. I'm not going anywhere."

I swallowed hard and swatted at his shoulder.

"Shut up, Paul. I just need some coffee." I was slightly embarrassed at my little display, but Paul didn't seem to mind. His well-muscled chest was visible through his fitted black t-shirt and his jeans were just tight enough to make out the outline of his perfect package hidden beneath. My knees locked up again when I though about what he owed me from yesterday.

"Let's go then." He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards his car, an old 1970 Chevelle that he'd restored with Jake and Jared. It was the sexiest car I'd ever seen, even though it still needed a new paint job and some polish on the chrome. I was going to have to ask him if I could help him work on this beauty some day.

Paul stopped and got us some coffee and breakfast sandwiches and then we drove to the mall. I still couldn't believe I'd convinced him to take me shopping, even if he'd had ulterior motives. We wandered around for a little while hand in hand, just people watching. Eventually, we wandered into H&M and he started pulling things off the racks for me to try on. I was staring at him again with my jaw on the fucking floor. He was picking out clothes for me? What the hell was happening? Am I fucking dreaming again? I pinched my arm hard, and yelped, "OW."

Paul stopped perusing the racks and looked back at me. "You okay, Leah?"

I forced a small smile and said, "yup, just peachy. Um, Paul?"

"What's up, babe?" He was holding a flowing polka dot dress up to me trying to pick out the right size.

"When did you learn about fashion?" I stifled a giggle, but he heard it and I was getting the stink eye again.

"Look, Leah, I grew up with women, and liking fashion isn't feminine, not that you'd have any idea what that's all about." He raised his right eyebrow and smirked at me.

"Fuck you! I used to love being a girl, but spending all of my free time with a pack of wild animals really killed that desire in me. Plus any time I take to look nice always get fucking ruined." I stuck out my tongue at him like a five year old. He grabbed the back of my neck and forced his tongue past mine. I almost dropped the pile of clothes to the floor, but Paul scooped them up out of my arms and pushed my ass to the fitting room.

I dutifully tried on all of the dresses he had chosen and actually fell in love with the polka dot one. It made me look like a pin-up girl, minus the giant chest.

When I stepped out of the fitting room to show Paul, he whistled at me. It was so embarrassing! I blushed a deep red and he stood up to spin me around in front of the mirrors.

"Damn, woman. You look so fine!" He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Almost as good as you look naked."

I blushed further, as we were out in public and the last thing I needed was to get arrested for public indecency, but the way Paul was melting me, I could barely resist pulling him by his belt loop into the fitting room.

Of course, the sales girl came over and interrupted our little display.

"That looks awesome on you! Do you need shoes, too?" She was maybe 18 years old and probably the first girl who wasn't family that had spoken to me in about two years. I became insanely defensive of Paul when her eyes raked over his body and her jaw fell slightly. I pushed him behind me and gave her a look that told her "he's mine. Don't you even fucking look at him, bitch."

"Yeah, I need shoes, too, I guess." I half-spat the words at her, squinting my eyes tightly as I maintained a protective stance in front of my man.

"I will go get you some to try on. What size do you need?" She had lowered her eyes to look at my feet and avoid further eye contact. I had clearly scared her, which made me gloat a little on the inside.

"Eight should be fine."

She scurried away, never looking up at us again out of pure fear.

Paul chuckled against my neck while he kissed the little spot behind my ear.

"Damn, hell-cat, I can't take you any where. I thought she was going to piss herself when you looked at her like that."

I relaxed a little when he kissed me and I muttered, "That bitch was looking at you like you were available. No one's getting to my man without a fucking brawl."

Paul was laughing now. I guess he was finally realizing what he'd gotten himself into with me.

The little girl came back with six different pairs of shoes. She had two pairs of flats, two pairs of booties, and two pairs of heels. She moved nervously around me like I might pounce on her at any moment, which was possible if she looked at Paul like that again.

She dared a glance at him again when she thought I was distracted by the shoes. Her face showed something different than just appreciation for his gorgeous body. She had recognized him. I wondered if I could choke her out before the mall security got to us, but then decided to be more mature about the whole thing. Paul _was_ unbelievably fucking hot, and any girl with eyes was going to notice him.

"Babe, I'll be right back." Paul leaned down and kissed my neck. "Any of those shoes are fine. Just get the ones you like the most."

I rubbed my cheek against his hair and whispered, "I love you." He danced his fingertips across my bare shoulders and said, "I love you, too."

The sales girl tried to ignore our little exchange, but it was clear that she was aware of how intense our relationship was and she didn't look up at him again.

Once Paul was out of earshot, though, the sales girl became brave again and looked up at me after she helped with the clasp on the first pair of heels.

"Is your boyfriend a model? He looks _exactly_ like the guy from the Abercrombie campaign."

What? Is that why she was staring at him? I thought about it for a second and realized that it was entirely possible. I didn't really know shit about Paul except that he was a shape shifter with a temper and that he loved me. And he knew a LOT about fashion. More than any other guy I'd ever known. Huh? Maybe it was him?

"I don't think so." I tried to sound confident when I answered her, but I realized there was a hint of insecurity in my voice that I quickly masked by talking about the shoes.

"I think these are perfect." I had decided on the first pair of booties. They were cute and comfortable and the heel wasn't too high. I'm pretty tall and I didn't want to tower over Paul's family when I met them. That shit was going to be awkward enough.

I went back into the fitting room and put my clothes back on. I piled up all of the things I wanted and walked out of the room, still thinking about the possibility that my Paul was in an ad campaign for Abercrombie. Paul was standing outside of the fitting room again and took all of the clothes from my arms. He tilted his head to get me to follow him to the register.

I reached down to my purse getting ready to pull out my credit card so I could pay for my clothes, but Paul put his hand over mine and said, "I got it. Put your card away."

I looked at him with a twinge of anger in my eye. "You can't buy all this for me. That's too much."

Paul smirked at me and pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. "Trust me, I got this."

My mouth fell open again, but I quickly closed it and let him pay. I knew this was not an argument I could win.

Paul collected my bags and we walked out of the store. I decided that I would have to see what the sales girl was talking about for myself. I urged Paul to walk in the direction of Abercrombie and Fitch with the pretense that I wanted a soft pretzel. As we walked past the store window, I saw the ad campaign with a gorgeous, fit man in a tank top and perfect jeans, a football in his hand and a huge smile on his face. I stopped dead in my tracks. It was Paul. _My Paul is a model?_ Apparently a damn good one, too. I turned to look at him and then back at the ad, and then back at him.

"Would you like to tell me something, oh beautiful specimen of man?" I raised my eyebrows and he had the cocky grin on his face.

"Well, I sort of got discovered here at the mall and they put me in the main campaign for the season. My mom encouraged me to go for it, but I kept it out of my head all the time 'cause I didn't want to fucking hear it from the pack."

Damn, my Paul was a sex symbol for the entire country now. I felt stirrings of pride and panic in my stomach just as five pre-teen girls recognized my Paul.

"OH MY GOSH, look, it's HIM!" They all squealed and came rushing for us. I grabbed Paul's hand and we ran out of the mall straight to his Chevelle.

We were both laughing and smiling when we got into the car and threw the bags in the back seat.

"So I guess I can say my boyfriend is a model now?" I giggled and poked him in the side.

"Leah, please, don't say anything to the guys. I'm getting enough shit for imprinting on you and forcing my thoughts on them, the last thing I need is for them to know I'm modeling, too." He was half-joking, but I understood why he'd kept it a secret. Our pack was brutal to each other, to say the least.

"Okay, okay, I'll let it slide. But you have to get me a copy of the campaign so I can drool all over your picture like every other girl in the country."

"Why do you need a picture when you have the real thing?" Paul grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my mouth to his. His kiss ignited the fire that had been smoldering embers deep inside of me. I climbed onto his lap, bashing my knee against the car door, but not giving a shit. The steering wheel dug into my lower back, but I hardly noticed as all I could feel was Paul's excitement growing between my legs.

He kissed me deeply, one hand lightly pulling my hair and his other hand firmly rubbing my ass against his hardness. I let my hands run down his firm chest and pull the bottom of his t-shirt up so I could stroke his abs. I let one hand slide down to his lower back and grabbed his ass hard. He moaned into my mouth and backed away for just a second. His head collapsed to my breasts and he panted, "Let's get out of here."


	7. Chapter 7

Characters belong to S. Meyer, I just make them do crazy things ;)

I had a great time writing this one! Please leave me some feedback!

Chapter 7

_I wanna do some dirty things to you tonight,  
I wanna fight, all through the night, night, night_

_I am no angel  
I like it when you do that stuff to me  
I am no angel  
I like it when you talk, dirty when you talk_

_-Wynter Gordon, Dirty Talk_

It took all that I had to climb off of Paul's lap so he could drive us back to the fishing cabin where we had spent our first, deliciously hot night together. My nails were raking against Paul's jeans, desperately aching to get him out of them. It took WAY too long to get to the beach, but when we finally arrived, Paul and I full on sprinted to the cabin. He fumbled with the key for just a second too long and I couldn't control myself anymore.

"FUCK, Paul, open the damn door already!" I had wrapped my arms around his waist, sucking in huge dizzying breaths against his back. The latch clicked open, and Paul spun around, lifted me up over his shoulder, carried me into the cabin like I was a stuffed animal he'd won at a carnival, and threw me on the bed. My head banged against the headboard and I cursed as my hand flew up to my head to rub my injury. Paul was instantly next to me, cradling my head in his hands, checking to be sure I was okay.

"Don't worry about it, baby. I'm fine. Now, don't forget what you owe me. You promised I could take it out on you, remember?" It was my turn to let the wickedly evil grin spread across my face as Paul realized that I was just fine and I hadn't forgotten about the deal we had made. He dropped his hands to his side in surrender. I pushed his shirt up and over his head. His chest was heaving from running and from the tension that had built between us.

"Do what you will with me, you crazy, hot bitch." I growled deep in my chest. I fucking hated it when he called me that, but his words undid something feral deep inside of me and I couldn't resist him even if I had wanted to.

I let my hand fly across his face. The loud SLAP echoed through the small cabin and I felt Paul's hard on twitch violently against my thigh. Paul's hands gripped the sheets below him hard. He knew he deserved it, and that this time, it was all about what I wanted, so he just kept his mouth shut and his eyes set firmly to my face.

"I told you I would show you what a bitch is all about if you called me that again. You'd better fucking hold on tight." I hissed the words through my clenched teeth. He had no fucking clue what he'd gotten himself into; I wasn't holding back today. He moaned loudly as I grabbed his right hand and tied it to the headboard with the sheets, and he willingly raised his left hand to the headboard so I could tie that hand firmly as well.

We both knew that he could have easily gotten out of the restraints I'd placed on him, but he knew that leaving him tied up was what I wanted, and he honored my desire to control everything this time.

I roughly grabbed his chin in my right hand and tilted his head, pressing my lips up to his ear.

"You're mine now, Paul. Don't fight back. Just let me go." My whisper caused goose bumps to form all over his exposed chest and arms. His jeans could barely contain his excitement and he groaned quietly as I dragged my nails down both of his restrained arms. I let my mouth bite, suck and lick its way down his hard body, and his breath was coming in rough, jagged pants. He was sweating lightly, and I licked a small bead off of his chiseled abs as it rolled down him.

When I reached the waistband of his jeans, I took the tab in my teeth and looked up at his face. His eyes were wide with excitement and pleasure as I undid the button and slowly unzipped his pants with my teeth. He popped up excitedly from the opening in his boxers and sighed as the pressure from his jeans was released.

I breathed my hot, damp breath along his exposed length but didn't give him the satisfaction of my touch. Not yet. He threw his head back and spoke for the first time since he'd called me a bitch.

"Fuck, Leah, so fucking HOT…" His panting and shouting was making it hard for me to stay focused on my task, but I didn't let him distract me.

I slid his jeans and boxers down slowly, dragging my nails against his thighs, drawing a little blood. He gasped, but I watched the scratches begin to heal themselves before his jeans hit the floor. I grinned at the thought that we could be truly rough with each other and we'd both heal before anyone even noticed the marks.

I stood at the end of the king-sized bed and just stared at Paul. His head was tilted back, his eyes half-opened, hands clenched in fists as he panted my name. He wanted me. Fuck that, he _needed_ me. This man was aching hard for me, and I was going to make damn sure that he would continue to do so forever.

I began to undress, painfully slow. It was hard for me not to just hop on him and ride the waves, but I knew this torture was only going to make it that much better. I lifted my shirt over my head, and Paul bit his bottom lip. My nipples were so hard that they were standing out against the thin fabric of my bra. I unhooked it and slid it off of my arms, dropping it to the floor. Paul moaned and spoke again.

"So beautiful…want to taste you…" His words set fire to my core as I clenched and unclenched between my legs. _Easy, Leah. Make him fucking earn it._

I didn't take off my pants yet, even though it took all I had not to. Instead, I climbed back up on the bed, purposefully avoiding his rock hard erection. I lay down next to him with my breasts inches from his face. He leaned toward my chest, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You smell like heaven, babe. Please, please let me taste you." Paul was begging and it was fucking HOT. I couldn't resist him any longer and leaned a little closer to his face so he could catch my breast in his mouth. He gently licked and nibbled at my nipple and then lapped at my breast with his smooth, hot tongue. I moaned, but slammed my mouth shut. I needed to stay in control. I pulled back from Paul's mouth and his face fell in disappointment.

"Please, babe, please?" I could get used to that. I stood up on the side of the bed and finally took off my pants and panties, which were a complete mess. Good thing we just bought all those new clothes. If we kept this hotness up, I'd be changing three times a day.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I needed to focus. Getting even, getting off. What was the difference with Paul? I didn't think there was one.

I crawled back up to the bed and positioned my mouth next to his swollen manhood. I kissed the dip of his hip, trailing my tongue along the soft skin there. He bucked his hips to my face, but I slammed them down to the bed with both hands.

I looked up at him with fury in my eyes. "MY TURN." He gasped at my command but managed to keep himself still while I kissed and licked all around him, not once taking him into my mouth. He was rubbing against the soft skin of my cheek, but I didn't allow him to move against me. It was agonizing and burning and hot.

I couldn't take it anymore. His torture was also my torture. I threw my right leg over his hips, rubbing myself all over him. His arms pulled hard against his restraints, but he didn't break them. He thought if he broke his restraints it would make me stop, but in this position, there was no turning back. I rubbed against the tip and impaled myself onto him. My mind went completely white. The searing heat between us, the way he fit inside me just right, the control he had allowed me- it was all too much. I rode him through three earth-shattering, blinding, screaming orgasms until he could no longer contain himself and he filled me, arching his hips into me to get even deeper.

I collapsed on his chest gasping for air. Paul wiggled his hands out of the sheet restraints and wrapped his big hands around me, holding me closely.

"Holy fucking shit, Leah…you are AMAZING…" His voice was breaking like an adolescent's. I had shaken him thoroughly. Good.

"You gonna call me a bitch again?" I mumbled against his sweaty, heaving chest.

"Not today, but I'm not going to forget what happens when I do." I looked up at his face and watched my favorite smirk dance across his lips.

We laid there together for a little while, just enjoying the moment we had shared. Eventually, we had to leave so Paul could go to work and I could go home and clean the house. My mom had left me a note that morning that it was my turn to clean, not that I minded at all.

Paul dropped me off at my house, placing a gentle, delicate kiss on my lips. It was insane that after the most wild, sweaty sex of my life his little kiss could unhinge me so completely.

"I love you, freak." Paul's smug smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I love you, asshole." He laughed at my insult and waited until I was in my house before he drove off.

* * *

Training the next couple of days went well, aside from the fact that Paul was pretty fucking terrible at keeping his thoughts to himself. Even I was taken aback by a few of the images he let fly when we were phased.

_Paul, fucking stop it. The pack doesn't need to see me trying on dresses and you imagining them on the floor._

_I'm sorry, Leah. I'm trying._

_Well fucking try HARDER!_

_Cool it you two! Paul, meet me in the clearing and phase out. Let me give you some advice._ I was grateful for Sam's Alpha command at that moment. Seth and the rest of the guys weren't interested in my sexy time with Paul, and if they were, I didn't want to fucking know anything about it.

I felt Paul's thoughts leave and then Sam's faded out, too.

_Leah, is it better or worse now? _Jared. Why did he care?

_Um, better, I guess. I mean, I'm a lot happier now._

_Good. You deserve it. Plus you are a lot easier to train with now that you aren't fucking miserable all the time._

_Shut the fuck up, Jared._

_Sorry! But seriously though, Paul's a lot better, too. He hasn't phased in anger since he imprinted._

_That's good, I guess._

_Hell yeah, it is! I don't have to fucking clean up his messes all the time anymore._

_Hey, guys, did you catch that scent up on the trail? It's definitely leech-y. _Seth. I didn't like it when he was off on his own. It scared the shit out of me.

_I did. I'll meet you up there in a second. _Quil's thoughts answered Seth quickly.

_We'll be right there. _The rest of us responded.

The closer we got to the trail, the more wretched the stink was. That smell always made my stomach do flips, and today was no exception.

With Sam and Paul phased out in the clearing, the leadership role fell to Jared. Jake was still healing and he wasn't allowed to phase until his bones were all set properly.

_Let's just stay here for a minute. Does anyone recognize the scent as a Cullen? _Jared's voice took on an air of authority until Sam and Paul returned.

_No, I don't think it's a Cullen. There is a fresh blood smell mixed in. _Quil had the best nose in the pack, and he was able to pick out smells the rest of us missed.

_Fuck. Are you sure it's fresh?_

_Doubting my mad skills, Jared?_

_Of course not, Quil. I was just checking._

Jared howled an alert to Sam and Paul and they rejoined the pack almost immediately.

_Jared, what is it?_

Jared let the last conversation replay in his mind so Sam and Paul could catch up with the situation. They joined us within a minute and Sam was already planning a new strategy. We would tighten our patrols around the reservation and warn the Cullens that there were more hunting vamps in the area. Hopefully they could help us take care of the problem before it got worse. Not that any of us really liked relying on the Cullen clan to help us, but they had proven they weren't here to hunt humans, so we had to respect the old treaty as it stood.

Sam dismissed all of us except for Paul and Jared, who were up for patrol duties that afternoon. I phased back behind a tree and dressed quickly. Seth met me and we walked back home together.

"I'm really glad you are happy again, sis. It's a little weird that it's because of Paul, but I'm happy for you." Seth surprised me by being so understanding about the whole thing. I knew it wasn't easy for him, especially because Paul was so bad at guarding his thoughts about me, but he was back to being my sweet little brother.

"Thanks, Seth. That means a lot to me."

* * *

Before I was even mildly prepared to meet Paul's family, the time had come. I was practically hyperventilating at the prospect of meeting his mother and his aunt. I still just didn't think I was good enough to be with him, and I was sure his family would see right through me and disapprove of me.

My mom had been really sweet about the whole thing, promising that I was going to be just fine and to be on my best behavior. She knew that my temper sometimes made me come off as crass and uncaring, so she reminded me to take deep breaths, count to ten, and think before I opened my mouth. She even ironed my dress for me, oohing and ahhing over it like it was my fucking wedding dress. I gagged a little at the thought of marriage. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Paul with all of my heart and soul, but I didn't see why after a week with him I should be planning our wedding and dreaming about children. GAH, stop thinking about that shit, Leah- you are just going to dinner.

I put on a little bit of make-up, blow dried my hair, and put on my new dress. I slipped into the new shoes and looked at myself in the mirror on the back of my door. I hoped I looked pretty enough and that I would be able to bite my tongue if I needed to.

When I stepped out of my bedroom and walked into the living room, my mom started to cry. No fucking bullshit, she started to cry. I almost started screaming, but before I could even process her ridiculous reaction, Paul was knocking at the front door. Seth was in the living room, too, trying to console my hysterical mother and quietly laughing at her overreaction to me in a dress. I guess it had been years since I really looked like her little girl again. I shook my head at the thought and opened the door and got an eyeful of Paul.

Paul and I stood there, staring at each other with our mouths hanging open. He looked like a cover model for GQ. His hair was perfectly tousled with a bit of gel, his face clean shaven, wearing what looked to be a designer shirt and pants that had been tailored perfectly to every curve and muscle in his sexy body.

"Fuck me, Paul. You're gorgeous." I couldn't help myself; the curse just fell out of my mouth.

"No, fuck me, Leah. You're perfect," he replied, stepping into the doorway, grabbing my waist and kissing me sweetly.

He spun me around in a little circle, grinning widely. My mother had finally gotten a hold of herself and ran to the doorway with a camera in her hand.

"Oh my gosh, look at you two! You look so perfect together! Let me take a picture!"

I rolled my eyes at Paul, but he whispered in my ear, "Just smile for _me_, beautiful."

The drool almost slid past the corner of my mouth, but I swallowed quickly and smiled for what seemed like a million pictures.

Finally, I stopped my mom. "Okay, okay, Mom, enough! We have to go. I don't want to be late."

I forced her to stop taking pictures and we both said goodbye to my mom and Seth and Paul held my hand as we walked to the car.

"You are going to make this really hard for me. I should have gotten you an uglier dress. I'm going to be eye-fucking you all night long." Paul growled against my neck before he opened the car door for me.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mister GQ. What designer are you wearing? Calvin Klein?"

"Good guess. I guess you aren't as hopeless about fashion after all." Paul's gaze was on the road, but I could tell he was having a hard time keeping it there.

We arrived at his small house within minutes. Ugh, here we go. Best behavior, Leah- no swearing, no nasty comments, no attacking the fucking sexy ass man-candy. This was going to be impossible.

Paul was the epitome of a gentleman. He opened my car door and gently took my hand to help me out of the car. He shut the door for me and offered me his arm. We walked to the door slowly and he gazed at my expression.

"Leah, it's going to be fine. You look like you're going to be sick. It's okay, it's just my family." He was cooing in my ear again, trying to get me to control my breathing and stop my hands from trembling. I felt the tears coming, but he pulled my chin up to look him square in the eye.

"Stop it. You are a strong, incredible, beautiful woman and you are with me. Nothing bad will happen here, I promise. They are going to adore you, just like I do." I took a deep breath.

"Are you sure?" I whispered, totally insecure.

"Promise." Mmm, I knew I could relax when he promised me something. He opened the door and led me into his home.

The house was filled with the delicious aromas of a homemade meal and something baking. It made my mouth water. I looked to the left and realized that Paul's house had the same layout as mine. The kitchen was to the left, living room straight ahead, bedrooms to the right.

Paul's tiny mother came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. She was strikingly beautiful, which didn't surprise me because she had made Paul who was an incredible hunk of a man. Her hair was very long and I felt a small twinge of sadness that mine was all gone. Hers was black with some small bits of silver around her face and was artfully braided down the middle of her back, skimming her waist. She had Paul's high cheekbones and killer eyes; I could tell that she was the reason he was so perfect. She was a small woman, though, only standing about five feet tall, but with a very small figure to match. For some reason I had pictured her being plump, but she was nothing of the sort. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Paul and then over to me.

"Paul, my baby!" She beamed as she spotted him. I giggled on the inside. Paul was hardly a baby anymore; he was twice the size of his tiny mother.

"Hello, Mother!" He beamed, let go of my hand for a second, and wrapped his tiny mom up in a giant bear hug. He so obviously loved her; it made my heart pound with happiness. No wonder he knew how to treat a woman.

Paul put her down and she smoothed her clothes before turning to me.

"You must be Leah. It's a pleasure to meet you! Paul was right- you are absolutely beautiful!"

I blushed at her comment and stuck my hand out to shake hers. She pushed my hand to the side and wrapped her tiny frame around me, squeezing me almost as hard as she had hugged Paul a moment ago. I was a little shocked at the intimacy of the display, but I hugged her right back. I already loved this tiny, firecracker of a woman.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Foster." I smiled at her.

"Please, please, call me Liz. Mrs. Foster is my grandmother." She was cute and funny, too. This was going to be easier than I thought.

Paul smiled at me, obviously pleased that his mother seemed to approve of me immediately. He winked at me and bit his bottom lip. I could have killed him. Here I was, trying to be a good girl, and he was wickedly flirting with me. Well, two could play that game.

"Liz, is that them?" A sweet voice called from the kitchen.

"Come out here, Evie. You have to see her!" I blushed yet again as Paul's mother called out to her sister.

Another tiny, beautiful woman emerged from the kitchen. She was equally as beautiful as Paul's mother, but looked just a few years younger. Her eyes were wide with excitement and she was smiling as soon as she caught sight of me.

"Hi, Paul, honey! Oh, my goodness, Leah, you are breath-taking! Paul tried to tell us, but I don't think there are words for a beauty like you!" Okay, now I was fifteen shades of red, staring down at my shoes, wishing I could melt into the hardwood floor.

His tiny aunt wrapped her arms around me, too. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the warmth and affection, and even though I was trying to stay composed, I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

I glanced over at Paul, who immediately became aware of my distress.

"Auntie, let me show Leah to the restroom. I'm sure she needs just a minute to freshen up before dinner." Paul politely requested a break for me, for which I would forever owe him.

"Of course, dear, dinner is almost ready!" Paul's aunt said in her sing-song voice.

He led me down the small hallway by the elbow, leaving his tiny mother and equally tiny aunt squealing over me in the kitchen.

I could hardly catch my breath to speak. The tears started to fall and I swatted them off of my cheeks angrily.

"Baby, what's wrong? I told you they would love you!" Paul's nose was touching mine and his hands were on both sides of my face.

"It's just…I mean…they are so sweet…and I'm…such a fucking mess!" I was practically sobbing now, feeling completely foolish and embarrassed.

"Leah, relax. You are not a mess. You were hurt and you are still healing. I know that your heart was broken. I don't expect you to be perfect. I just want you to be you." He pulled up my chin and gently pressed his lips to mine. "I fell in love with you _because_ you aren't typical. You are everything but. You are challenging, difficult, sweet and hardcore. I love all of those things about you. Don't worry about anything, baby. I'm right here."

I let Paul's sweet breath wash over my face and gathered my strength. He was right. This was right were I should be, here with him. There was nothing that would keep us apart, and I needed to stop crying so fucking much. I was starting to get annoyed with myself.

I regained my composure and we returned to the dining room. Paul sat facing me at the small table and I kept getting a little lost in his beautiful face every time I looked at him.

We ate a fantastic meal, and Paul's mother and aunt were very pleased that I ate everything on my plate and asked for seconds, even though I was a little embarrassed to eat that much in front of them. They just gushed how nice it was to see a young woman with such a voracious appetite. I shot a look of pure evil at Paul and winked. He knew all about my voracious appetite. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and his chest rose and fell heavily. I was grinning on the inside- it was so easy to get him hot under the collar, I couldn't help myself. I slipped my foot across the distance between us under the table and dragged the tip of my shoe along the inside of his firm thigh.

I thought he was going to flip the table over. He had gripped both sides of the table, set his jaw, and burned right through me with his eyes.

"Mom, Auntie, why don't you let Leah and I clear the dishes? You both have done so much already." His voice was sweet, but he was guarding the growl that was building inside his chest.

"Oh, that's so thoughtful, Paul! Thank you!" His mother gushed all over him. He was such a momma's boy! I could tell that the asshole he was with his friends NEVER came out at home.

We both stood up and gathered the dishes on the table. I innocently followed him into the kitchen, and placed the plates in the sink. I leaned over just a little, pushing my ass into his hips. He reached around me and put his handful of plates in the sink, ground against me, grabbed both of my wrists, and growled in my ear.

"I swear to God, Leah, you are going to fucking end me." I gasped as he pushed harder against me, grinding against my ass and stroking both of my arms. He breathed into my ear.

"Mmmm, Leah, I want you, but not here. After dessert, we'll go to the cabin, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm, that's what I want." I was going to lose my fucking mind with this man, but I didn't care, as long as he was mine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_See me  
I'm still standing  
I might be bleeding  
But I'm still breathing  
You might hate me  
But you can't break me  
I might be bleeding  
But I'm still breathing _

_Renegade-Hed (PE)_

Paul managed to control himself long enough for us to eat dessert with his mom and aunt, but I was a little nervous that he was going to spontaneously combust when I licked the whipped cream off of my spoon. His aunt had made the most insanely delicious apple crumb pie and it was even more irresistible with whipped cream on top. I was thoroughly torturing Paul. I knew I was going to get it, and I did everything I could to ensure that it was going to be fucking fantastic.

When we had finished dessert, Paul told his mom and aunt that he had to take me home and that he was probably going to be out for the evening with the guys. He was so polite and proper; it made me want him even more.

I said goodnight to Liz and Evie, hugged them and told them I would see them soon. It was amazing to me how, after one night, these two women felt like family. Paul opened the door for me and then offered me his arm as we walked to his car together.

"I told you it would be fine. You didn't have to fucking torture me with the whipped cream, though."

"Whipped cream? Why, what do you mean, darling?" I looked up at him and batted my eyelashes like one of those "innocent" girls from the movies.

"Ohhh, you are going to get it. It's on now, woman." Paul was grumbling his reactions to my flirtation, and I was a little concerned we wouldn't make it to the car, let alone the cabin.

"AAAA-OOOOOOOOOOOOO," Sam's pack call. Damn it.

"We have to go now, get in the car." The mood was instantly shot to hell. Gotta love it when your ex-boyfriend interrupts a hot night with your current boyfriend for some vampire bullshit. Paul started the car and drove about a mile down the road and parked in a small garage that belonged to Quil.

"Come on, Leah, we have to phase right now!" Paul was barking at me as he stripped off his clothes and threw them into the car. I had already kicked off my shoes, but the zipper was impossible to reach and I wasn't going to blow out my new dress.

"Paul, get the fucking zipper! I'm not ruining this dress!" I shouted loudly at him, and he was behind me an instant later. My dress fell quickly to the ground, and although normally Paul would have been stoked to have me naked in front of him, now just wasn't the time. We had a battle to win.

We both phased quickly behind the garage and my mind was immediately filled with Sam's booming voice shouting orders to the pack. We were under attack.

_PAUL, get to the north side of the reservation and back up Jared and Colin NOW. LEAH, run the perimeter and make sure there aren't any more coming through. I'm going northeast with Seth and Brady. Embry and Quil go northwest. IT'S TIME- LET'S DO THIS._

We were being attacked from the north side. From the visions I was seeing in Sam and Jared's memories, these were not friendly, veggie-leeches like the Cullens. They weren't newborns either. Their eyes weren't a screaming bright red and they weren't out of control with blood lust like the newborns had been. These leeches were experienced, calculating and vicious. They were looking for something…or someone.

I ran the perimeter of the reservation twice, making sure to publicize to the pack that there weren't any other leeches trying to get through. For some reason, they were all focused on the north side of the reservation. All of our minds were focused on destroying these leeches before they could get anywhere close to the families we protected.

Quil and Embry had grabbed some female vamp and ripped her into tiny, rock hard pieces and then Quil was cataloging their stenches so we could pinpoint their locations in the forest. Seth was checking for disturbances they left on the ground, showing all of us the paths they were following. Paul, Jared, and Colin ripped up two males before they began chasing another. Sam and Brady sunk their teeth into the biggest male I'd ever seen, but he wasn't as fast as the others, and he was immediately shredded to pieces.

There had to be at least nine of them, more than we had ever seen in one place except for the Cullens. What the hell were they doing here now?

Sam's mind was mapping out every house and building on the north side, trying to figure out what the vamps were after. His vision flashed over the store, the gas station, a few homes with families- and Jacob's house. The entire pack mind howled. They were after Jacob because of that stupid leech-lover Bella.

I raced to Jacob's house from my position and I could hear that Sam, Seth and Brady were on their way to meet me there.

_Leah, phase out and get in there and tell Jake what's happening. He's still not allowed to phase or his bones won't set properly._

_Fuck, Sam, I don't have my clothes. _

_Jake's stash is under the porch. GO NOW!_

I ran up to the back door of Jake's house, phased, and threw on his huge t-shirt and shorts. I had to hold the shorts up with both hands, but I didn't really give a fuck as long as he was okay.

"Jacob! Jacob! Are you okay?" I ran into the house screaming, running to every room and opening every door. I found Jacob lying in his bed, wrapped up in a sling and braces. It stung me hard to see that he was still in pain, because as much as I wanted to say it was his fault, I knew that the blame was solely mine. He saved my life when he jumped in front of that fucking leech, but he broke half of the bones in his body in the process.

"Leah, what the hell? Why are you wearing my clothes? What's going on?" Jacob tried to sit up, but his face grimaced in agony and he lay back down on his bed.

"We have a big problem, but nothing we can't handle. There were nine leeches attacking and Sam thinks they're after you."

"Were? How many are down now?" Jacob's face was furrowed in anger and frustration. It was obvious he was aching to phase, but he couldn't yet or his bones would have to be re-broken. Again. I shuddered at the thought, and quickly answered his question.

"Paul, Jared, and Colin got two and they were on to another one before I phased out. Quil and Embry got one, and Sam and Brady took out the biggest leech I've ever seen. He was bigger than that Emmett guy."

"So that means there are still four out there. Are you sure they're after me?"

"Seth was tracking their paths on the ground, Quil was following their stenches and Sam mapped out the entire north section of the reservation. Your house was the final destination for all of them." I cringed as I realized that I was sitting in the middle of what could possibly be the worst fight of my life, in human form, wearing Jake's gigantic clothes. I was starting to hyperventilate and my skin was on fire with the desire to phase back.

"Who's outside?" Jacob shouted and we could hear the growls of Sam, Brady, and Seth.

"Thanks, guys." I was waiting for Jacob to rip off his bandages and phase right there. It was killing him to be helpless, and he saw the same feeling wrack my body with tremors as I fought to maintain my human form in the face of a battle.

"Sam, can I please come back out?" I fucking hated asking like that, but I figured if I poured a little sugar on it, he might let me phase.

Sam growled his approval and I looked at Jake. He was helpless lying there and it was killing us both, but he nodded at me to go back outside.

"Wait, Leah?"

"What Jake?"

"Should I call the Cullens? Did anyone tell them what was happening? I mean, Bella's still human, she's not going to be safe."

I gagged and growled realizing that Jake was still hung up on whining, skinny Bella. That bitch had him so fucking whipped and he didn't do anything to stop it. It was sickening.

"Sam didn't have a chance to warn them. So yeah, I guess, go ahead and call your little leech-lover." I spat the words out and ran out to the back door to get away from Jake's hopeless disposition.

I stripped off Jake's clothes and threw them back under the porch and let the heat rise up my spine and blow out my body into my wolf form. I was definitely more comfortable sharing the pack mind than the hollow, painful space in Jacob's bedroom. He was heartsick and unashamed and it made me nauseous. That dumb little bitch had no idea what she did to him. He was like a hollow shell of a man when he used to be a vibrant, happy guy- just like Seth.

_Sam, we got another one, but there are still three trying to get through. _Paul was okay, thank God.

_Everyone get to Jake's now. If they want him that badly, they will come here._

I could see Paul's fight in my mind and it made me shudder with hatred and fear. I knew this was our job, but it didn't make it any easier knowing that the love of my life was engaging in life or death battles on a regular basis.

We took defensive positions in the trees surrounding Jake's place. Quil was following scents and Seth was observing disturbances in the trees, but waiting was driving all of us nuts.

_Damn it, where the hell did they go?_

_Be patient, Jared. They're coming now. Quil just caught the scent. Let them get close to the house before we pounce. We fight in teams- Paul, Jared, and Colin- Quil, Embry, and Leah- Me, Seth, and Brady. Be smart. Remember your training._

Our small teams fell into rank like always. There was always a leader and subordinates in the pack mind. It was the only way we didn't kill each other. Sometimes it was frustrating when the boys tried to give orders in human form, but honestly, the pack worked better with structure. We were each an essential piece of the vampire murder machine, and when everyone was on, nothing could get past us.

I was crouched way down to the ground with my belly touching the damp dirt below, my front paws digging into to the leaves, and my back arched, prepared to lunge at our prey. Quil was ahead of me and Embry was to the right as we saw the vamp trying to slink into the window of Jake's small house. Luckily, all three vampires showed up together, which I thought was really stupid considering we had just killed six of their kind without hesitation. I thought these vampires were supposed to be smart.

Sam's thoughts pointed out our targets. He also showed us that he was going to keep his prey alive and try to find out why the hell they were after Jake. All of us flinched hard at that thought. We didn't want to keep any one of them alive, even though we all wanted to know why they were attacking.

_Ready Em? Ready Leah?_ Quil was lining us up for attack.

_Yeah baby!_

_Hell yeah._

We ran in attack formation and Quil had the stupid leech by the neck before he could even turn around to fight back. I tore off the left arm and Embry ripped off the right, which made a sickening crunch as the rock hard body fell to pieces at our feet. We made quick work of ripping the rest of the torso into tiny chunks and threw them into a pile.

Paul, Jared and Colin had worked even faster than us. They already had the fire blazing over their kill and had joined us to create the spark for our vampire pile.

Sam had caught the last leech and somehow managed to keep it alive, even though every instinct in all of us ached to destroy it.

_Gather around and hold him down. I have to phase so I can talk. _

_NO!_ The entire pack hated that idea. In human form, Sam would be much more vulnerable.

_Enough. If you all do your jobs, I will be fine. Hold him down._

Sam went behind a tree, phased and threw on the shorts he had strapped to his leg.

"Why are you here?" He growled the words to the vampire who was squirming and shouting against our teeth and claws that were digging into him.

"Let me GO!" He was crying out into the air like we would have sympathy for a disgusting bloodsucker. I dug my claws into his calf just a little deeper.

He was writhing in pain, but finally said what Sam needed to hear.

"We came for the boy you call Jacob," he was gasping, but continued, "Edward sent us to destroy him but I don't know why. Please, let me go!"

Sam had the information he wanted, and with one glance at Paul, the vampire's head rolled across Jacob's backyard. The rest of us ripped up what was left and set fire to the little hill of broken body parts. Sam went back behind the tree and joined us again.

_Good work, pack. Apparently the Cullens are no longer respecting the treaty. It looks like we need to step up our patrols. Quil and Embry will take the first watch tonight and keep it tight around the reservation. I'll talk to Jacob and come up with a plan. Jared and Colin, you will relieve Quil and Embry in four hours. Everyone else, keep an ear out for us. I don't think there will be anymore tonight, but be prepared._

_Jacob was calling Bella when I left the house._

_Thanks, Leah._ Sam was grateful that I had followed orders today and didn't complain. I could see in his thoughts that he was generally pleased with my pack attitude lately. I knew it was because I was happy with Paul, but I could still feel the tiniest twinge of jealously in Sam's mind that he wasn't the one making me happy anymore. He buried the thought as quickly as it had come up, as the rest of the pack phased back.

_Paul, I don't have any clothes. I'm not walking back naked._

_Me either- let's just go back to the car._

Even though Sam was usually pretty excellent at hiding what he was thinking, his thoughts flashed to my exchange with Paul.

_Leah naked._

_What the fuck, Sam? You said this was going to be fine. You even helped ME guard my thoughts! But here you are, dragging up naked pictures of MY GIRLFRIEND. What the hell?_

Sam was stunned silent. His memories were as much of a shock to him as they were to us.

_Paul, relax, it was bound to happen. You're really bad at putting those thoughts away and by now everyone, including my BROTHER, has seen me naked. I don't like it either, but it's not worth a fight. _

Sam finally found words to explain himself, but they were not enough to quell Paul's building fury.

_I'm sorry, Paul. Forgive me please, that was uncalled for. I'm phasing out._ Sam's voice was genuinely sorry, but Paul was still livid.

Quil and Embry were running patrol and I tried to focus on their thoughts rather than Paul's, which were running through all of the ways he could murder Sam and not get caught.

_Paul, fucking stop it! He didn't do it on purpose._

_NO, Leah, I'm not going to stop it. Sam CAN'T fucking think about you like that. Not anymore! Why are you defending him? You think it's okay for him to picture you NAKED? What the hell is wrong with you?_

Paul and I had been jogging side by side heading back to the car, but his words exploded through me like a shotgun blast. Being pissed off at Sam was one thing, but shouting at me was fucking unacceptable. I turned and jumped onto his back, catching him off guard. He was pissed and wrapped up in his furious thoughts so he wasn't prepared for my attack. I rolled him over and pinned on his back with my teeth at his neck.

_Nothing is wrong with me! CHILL THE FUCK OUT, PAUL._

Of course, before I could do anything about it, Paul rolled over, pinned me to the forest floor and gripped my neck in his teeth.

_You don't want me to defend you? You want to just go back to being fucking MISERABLE watching Sam and Emily living happily ever after? Do you even WANT ME? I don't want to hear this fucking bullshit, Leah. I love you and I'm trying to get you the respect you FUCKING deserve, but you want to just defend Sam's stupid ass?_

Paul's words hurt me deeply. I whined in protest against his teeth and he jumped off of me and kept trotting toward the car.

_Paul, wait._

_I'm fucking done talking like this. I'll see you at the car._

Paul phased back to human form and walked the last quarter mile to the car nude.

_Leah, are you okay?_ Embry's concerned voice echoed in my head and I realized that Paul and I had just fought viciously in front of an audience. I was angry and embarrassed and I wanted to just crawl under a rock and die.

_I'm fucking awesome, Embry. Just leave it alone._

_Sure. Sorry, Leah._ Embry was trying to be nice, and he did back off right away, refocusing on his perimeter sweep and pushing away his memory of Paul's harsh words aimed right at my heart.

I got up off of the ground and half ran to the car. My chest was on fire and I just wanted to get back to human form so I could be alone inside my own head. Unfortunately, I would have to face Paul when I phased back. I wasn't prepared to fight with him today but now there was no way to get away from the inevitable.

When I reached the small garage, I spotted my dress hanging on a tree. Paul must have hung it there so I would have it after I phased. I guess he wasn't too mad at me or he would have just made me walk around naked. I phased and pulled on my dress. I still couldn't get the zipper all the way up, but it was on and covering me at least.

I walked around to the front of the small garage, half expecting it to be empty. I was well aware of Paul's explosive temper, and I wasn't sure if he would even want to see me after the berating I'd just had. I was still angry about him yelling at me, but I realized that it wasn't an argument I could win.

"You're still here?" I hedged as I caught sight of Paul, fully dressed, sitting on the ground in front of his car with his knees pulled up and his head in his hands. If I didn't know Paul better, I would have thought he was crying.

"Of course I'm still fucking here. Where the hell else would I be?" The acid in Paul's answer stung and I swatted the hot tears from my cheek before he could see them.

Paul raked his hands through his hair and his breaths were coming in hard gasps. He didn't look up when he answered me and I wasn't sure how to fix this. I knew I'd pissed him off badly, but this was more than just rage. I had hurt him and I hated myself for it. I was doing this shit so much lately. My big fucking tough guy attitude was finally starting to catch up with me. Jake was hurt because of me; he was weak and vulnerable to an attack because I was too proud to ask for help when I needed it. And now Paul was in front of me, hurt and burned because I was too pig-headed to let him defend me from inappropriate advances from my ex-boyfriend.

He had asked me if I even wanted him. I hadn't answered. Fuck.

"Paul, I'm…I'm…"

"You're WHAT Leah? You're fucking SORRY? Why aren't you furious? Why didn't YOU scream at Sam? He gets a fucking pass to rake all over your naked body but you lose your fucking shit when I think about you in a DRESS? I'm so fucking mad right now, I can't even fucking look at you."

I was shattered, thoroughly broken. I couldn't take Paul's harsh words anymore. I fell to the ground of the garage like a sack of potatoes. My dress fanned out around me and my bare ass slammed onto a rock, only adding physical pain to my already distressed heart. I threw my arms out in front of me and bashed my forehead against them and I began to sob harder than I had since my father died. I had completely lost control of myself.

I was only in that position for a few seconds before I felt Paul's strong arms pull me up into his lap, pushing my head against his chest. He held me tightly and just let me cry it all out for a while.

Once my sobs slowed to just whimpers, I could hear that Paul's heart was still racing. His arms were squeezing me tightly to his chest and I could tell that he was still really angry, even though he was comforting me.

Neither of us spoke, although I knew I should try to explain myself. The only problem was I didn't have an honest answer as to why I wasn't mad at Sam. Maybe it still made me feel good to know he was thinking about me. Maybe I wanted him to be jealous that I was with Paul. Maybe I _was _a vindictive, evil bitch. Those thoughts brought out a new bout of pained tears and I moaned against Paul's strong chest, soaking his expensive shirt.

"Leah, that's enough. Stop." Paul's voice was still harsh, but I could hear a twinge of sweetness in his tone.

"But…I'm…awful…" I was coughing words out through my tears. Paul grabbed my chin roughly and jerked my head up to catch my teary eyes in his fierce gaze.

"You are _not_ awful. Fucked up, maybe, but not awful." He was hissing through his teeth. Before I could open my mouth again to argue with him, his lips were silencing mine with an angry kiss. Paul grabbed the back of my head, wrapped his hand into my hair, and forced my mouth open with his tongue.

He kissed me furiously, and my body immediately responded to his unbridled passion. I twisted in his lap as his grip on my hair tightened. I let out a small cry of pain as he yanked me back and buried his mouth into my neck. He dragged his teeth across my neck while his free hand threw my leg behind him, pinning my naked lower half against his hips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my hands in his hair, moaning as he ground himself against me and sunk his teeth deeper into my skin.

Paul's roughness made me burn with an intensity I couldn't understand. My throat was sore from sobbing and my eyes were stinging, but I didn't care as long as Paul didn't stop pulling my hair and kissing me hard.

He finally released my hair from his death grip and gripped my ass hard with both hands. He stood up and slammed me against the side of his Chevelle. He wrenched the passenger side door open and shoved me into the seat. I whimpered and reached for him, but he slammed the door in my face.

Paul stalked around the front of the car, glaring at me as if I was his prey and he was preparing to pounce. I was gasping for air and rubbing my neck where Paul had bitten me. He sat down in the driver's seat, started the engine and pulled out of the small garage. He was still refusing to look at me, and I could tell his anger was still just barely in check.

"Paul, I-"

"Shut up. No more talking. You owe me that much." His words stung a little, but he was right. I had teased him mercilessly and then denied him the opportunity to defend the strength of our relationship. I did owe him. I bit my lip hard, choking back the tears that were welling up again.

"And stop crying. I can't fuck you stupid if you're crying." I gasped at his harsh directive, but wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands and gripped my knees to my chest, willing myself to stop whimpering like an idiot.

Paul clearly still loved me and it was obvious that he would forgive me, but he wanted this to go how he wanted and I would have to control myself so it could happen and we could be okay again.

We drove in silence back up to the beach. He parked the car, got out and waited for me. I got out of the car and walked barefoot behind him until we reached the cabin.

Paul turned to me, grabbed my wrist and yanked me through the cabin door. He looked into my eyes with a fire that would have scared me if I didn't know that he loved me.

"Take off your dress and get on the fucking bed." He was barking orders at me. I was waiting for the bile to rise up in my throat, reminding me how much I hated to be told what to do, but my body betrayed me. Instead of revulsion, I felt a wash of warmth spread throughout me as my hands pulled off my dress and pushed me up to the bed.

"On your stomach." He growled that command, and again I listened.

I could hear Paul's clothes dropping to the floor, but thought better of looking at him. This wasn't for me, even though I knew I was going to enjoy the hell out of it.

I gasped when I felt his hand come down hard on my bare ass.

"That's for teasing me in front of my family."

His hand came down hard a second time.

"That's for insulting me in front of the pack."

I whimpered but felt the wetness dampening the sheet below me. His hand came down a third time, and I could feel the tightening deep within me. If he kept spanking me, I was going to explode.

"That last one was just because I can."

I bit down on my lip and lifted my hips up off of the bed. I was silently begging for him to fill me.

Thankfully, he couldn't wait any longer either. He climbed onto the bed, gripped my hips with both hands, and plowed into my core. I had been aching for him and feeling him like this, so deep inside of me, made me come unhinged. I screamed so loudly that if I had any presence of mind, I would have worried someone would come searching for the girl who was being attacked.

Oh, I was being attacked alright, but this was totally welcomed.

Paul's thrusts increased in speed and intensity. He grabbed the tops of my thighs in his hands and was plowing into me so roughly I could barely catch my breath. I could feel him swell inside me and I knew he was close to finishing. I squeezed around him as hard as I could and we came undone together.

Paul collapsed onto my back and we lay like that until our breathing slowed and our heart rates returned to normal. Paul slid out of me slowly and rolled over to face me.

"Are we even?" I whispered into his kiss.

He pulled his face back so that his dark eyes bored into mine and his sexy smirk danced at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, babe. We're even."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Paul and I had spent the night at the cabin again and because we were both exhausted from dismembering vampires, fighting, and make-up sex, we slept late. When I finally rolled over and looked at the clock, it was already 10 am.

"Babe, do you have to work today?" I mumbled against the scruff on Paul's cheek.

"Huh? Mmm, no, not today." His response was muffled by the pillow his face was shoved into and his hand instinctively reached for me. It rested around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I ran my hand along his muscled arm and sighed. It was still hard to believe that Paul was really mine.

I felt a twinge in my stomach, realizing that although Paul and I had resolved our issues last night, we would still have to deal with Sam. Oh, yeah, and the major issue with the fucking vampires.

"Paul?" I was awakening quickly as my mind raced through all that had happened the day before. I was getting nervous again, hoping that everything wouldn't go to shit like I feared it might.

"Mmm-hmm?" Paul's face was still buried in the pillow and I could tell that he wasn't nearly as awake as me.

"Do you still want to kill Sam?" I whispered the question into his ear, and gently nibbled on his earlobe, hoping to soften his reaction to my question.

Paul pulled me closer to him and turned out of the pillow to face me.

"Yeah, but not as much as yesterday. " He yawned hugely, tilting his chin up to the ceiling and then settling his gaze into my nervous eyes.

"Leah, it's okay. I think I get it. You were his for so long, and then he was forced by a power greater than all of us to leave you and be with Emily. I know from his memories that he regretted hurting you. And can I blame him for thinking of you naked? I mean, fuck, you are perfect." He actually chuckled and ran his hand down the length of my back, his hand resting on the curve of my ass.

"Stop, I'm not perfect. I'm stubborn, irrational and an emotional mess." I shook my head against Paul's bare chest.

"I meant your body, Leah." I looked up at his face with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth. His sexy, smug little smirk was plastered across his face

"Still an asshole, but I guess that's to be expected." I stuck out my tongue at him and he laughed a huge belly laugh.

"I love you, Leah."

"I love you, Paul."

* * *

That night, after Paul and I had returned to our homes, showered and ate, we had a pack meeting down at the beach. Sam had spoken with Dr. Carlisle Cullen, the "father" of the vampire clan who originally made the treaty with Ephraim Black, Jacob's great-grandfather.

Dr. Cullen was the only doctor who could help Jake after he got hurt. Because we heal so rapidly, Jake's bones had set wrong by the time we got him back to his house. Dr. Cullen had to re-break all of the fractures and set them in soft casts. Listening to Jake screaming that day had made me violently ill. I was sick with guilt and shame, embarrassed that my stupid move had caused so much pain for one of my pack brothers.

We all gathered around the fire on the beach, waiting for Sam to tell us all what he had learned from his meeting with Dr. Cullen. Sam had even managed to get Jake down to the beach so he could be part of the meeting. Obviously, this had a lot to do with him. Jake was healing quickly, but Doc said he would probably need at least a few more days with no phasing. I looked over at Jake, and although he looked happier to be out and with the pack, I could still see the agonizing pain of lost love on his face. I knew that pain all to well, and it made my stomach churn in memory.

I turned to look at Sam before he began to tell us about what had happened with the Cullens. His face was stern and controlled as usual, but I could see the tiny bits of pain and jealousy dancing at the corners of his eyes. No one else would have ever seen it, but I had spent day in and day out studying Sam's face for every tiny flicker of emotion when we were together and I knew that he was thinking about me again. I wanted desperately to feel good about it, proud that I still had some kind of influence over him, but instead I felt my stomach flip. I truly didn't want Sam to want me anymore. I wanted him to be happy with Emily and for me to be happy with Paul. That was the way things were supposed to be, and we needed to just get over our past together and move on into our healthier new relationships.

I took a deep breath and squeezed Paul's big hand. I looked over at him and I could practically feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. He was doing his damndest to keep himself in check and I could tell that he was barely succeeding. I glanced over to Jared, Paul's closest pack brother, and mouthed the word 'help?' to him. Jared stood up and sat down next to Paul.

"Dude, you ok?" Jared poked his finger into Paul's bicep and Paul jumped up off of the log he was sitting on.

"Fuck!" Paul yelled loudly as if Jared had shaken him from a dead sleep. Paul looked around the circle that had formed around the fire and caught the stares of his pack mates.

"Paul, what the hell, dude?" Jared threw his hands up in confusion to Paul's reaction.

"Shit, sorry Jared. I'm just distracted. All this vamp shit has me ready for war." Paul quickly sat back down and threw his arm over my shoulder possessively. I knew he wasn't really thinking about the fighting. His frustration and fury was all about Sam and his lingering attachment to me. Jared knew Paul as if he was his own brother and could read him as well as I could read Sam. He knew that Paul's excuse was just to save face in front of the pack. He knew they had bigger problems to worry about, even though it was tearing him up inside knowing that a confrontation between Paul and Sam was looming on the horizon.

Jared leaned in toward Paul and whispered, "Dude, it's just not worth it right now. You can deal with Sam later."

Paul mumbled, "Sure" in response to Jared's attempt to calm him down.

I grabbed Paul's hand and wiggled his fingers out of a tight fist, forcing him to hold my hand. He finally relented just as Sam began to speak.

"Dr. Cullen assured me today that he knew absolutely nothing about the hit Edward put out on Jacob. When I told him what had happened, he was fuming. He couldn't believe that Edward would jeopardize human lives by sending bloodthirsty vampires onto our land."

The pack automatically growled in unison. There was no way that we were going to just accept an apology and move on from this. We all ached for Sam to allow us to seek justice, although we also knew Sam would act in the best interest of the pack and the community.

"Easy, guys. Dr. Cullen said that Edward was out of town and that he had taken Bella with him. He asked Alice, the one who can read their futures, if she knew what he was planning. She said that Edward wasn't planning on coming back for a long time."

Jake's heart betrayed him and he let out a low, sad whine. Hearing his pain literally made me ache. I wanted to rip Bella's fragile stupid body limb from limb for making him hurt like that.

Sam reached over and put his hand on Jake's shoulder in an attempt to console him, although we could all tell that it would be a long time before Jacob could let go of Bella.

I asked the questions that no one else seemed to want to ask. "So what are we going to do about it? Are we just going to let him attack our pack mate and get away with it? Let some leech run off with a stupid human girl?" I could feel my blood pressure rising and my voice going shrill over the last few words, but I didn't care. I really needed to exact some sort of revenge for this very real attack.

"Leah, relax. Dr. Cullen assured me that he would find Edward and demand answers. He doesn't want us to start attacking his family because of Edward's disrespect of the treaty, so they have decided to travel and look for Edward and Bella. Bella is still human and Dr. Cullen is worried that something bad may happen when she's with Edward."

I could see the twist of stabbing pain in Jake's heart rip across his face. Paul's pulse quickened as we all realized what Jake had already feared. Edward running off with a human Bella meant one of two things- she was going to become a vampire or she would become a meal.

I was having a hard time caring about this fucking whiny bitch. I mean, she had practically thrown herself at Jacob after her bloodsucker left her to die in the woods where she had to be rescued by Sam. Then, when Jake finally told her what he felt (which he'd been torturing the rest of us with for weeks) she decided to pull the friend card, toss him to the side and run right back into the arms of the most dangerous predator humans will ever encounter. Why the hell should I care if Edward ate her? Good riddance to bad rubbish.

This time Paul spoke up. Since Jacob was clearly in agony in both his heart and his body, Paul stepped up to ask the question we really needed answered. "So, what are we doing?"

It was obvious that Paul was still very pissed with Sam, but he'd managed to make it look like it was about the vampires. Well, sort of. The pack knew what was up, but no one was going to bother to point it out.

Sam turned his gaze toward Jacob. Even though Sam had assumed command as Alpha because he was the first to phase, the rightful holder of the title was Jacob. He was the direct descendant of the Chief, and if he wanted it, he would be Chief one day, too.

"What?" Jacob's broken face looked up at Sam.

"It's your call what we do next. You tell us." Sam hunched over a little and was clearly trying to give Jake his rightful position in the pack. It was the first time Sam was allowing anyone to call the shots other than himself. The entire pack felt uncomfortable with the unexpected shift in leadership. As much as I hated Sam being my Alpha, he did a pretty solid job.

My stomach was twisting in knots. I didn't really know what was happening and I fucking hated not feeling in control. My breathing sped up and I was sure that I was trembling, but Paul still had his hand on mine and he was trying to hold us both together.

"Sam, I don't want this. This is for you. Please, I'm not fit to lead a horse to water." Jake's words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Sam didn't look up from his submissive position and the rest of us had instinctively lowered our heads and waited for instructions.

"FUCK, Sam, pick your head UP and LEAD the fucking PACK!" I gasped a little at Jake's harsh words, but I knew that Sam had been chewed out worse-by me. Sam didn't move, refusing to lift his head or make any eye contact with anyone. He was conceding his leadership role.

"What the HELL? Do you all really want ME to lead you? I'm fucking crippled and heartsick over a FUCKING leech-lover! I'm a fool." Because he was still heavily bandaged, Jake was not able to stand up or move around well. He was essentially trapped with us, forced to make a choice about his future and what it would mean for the whole.

Minutes dragged on for what felt like an eternity, but none of us spoke or moved.

"You aren't going to let me quit, are you Sam?" Jacob finally sighed.

"No." Sam spoke up quietly; essentially revoking the position he had filled almost effortlessly.

Unintentionally, Jacob gave Sam a command.

"We stay here. The Cullens will bring them back. Keep the rez safe."

I couldn't believe the huge shift that I had just witnessed. Sam had readily relinquished his position as Alpha and Jacob, with very little resistance, had accepted his role as pack leader. With one command, Jacob's face had dramatically changed. His grimace of pain and agony was gone and it was replaced with the strong, calm expression that I had seen on Sam's face for so long.

It was like Jacob had never been hurt. He was still bandaged, of course, but the heartbroken, crushed air had dissipated like smoke in the wind. I looked over at Paul, who was still trying hard to hide his anger with Sam, but he still held my hand tightly and seemed a little relieved that Jacob had stepped up into his role as Alpha. I guessed it would be easier for him to confront Sam now that he didn't have to worry about being banished from the pack.

A sense of relief washed over all of us. It was strangely comforting to know that the change in leadership went so smoothly. We all looked to our new Alpha for further instructions.

"Sam, you will stay in contact with Dr. Cullen while they search for Edward and Bella. We will patrol in threes and keep it tight to the perimeter. I should be able to join you all in a few days and we can figure out what to do once we have more information from Dr. Cullen. We will keep our people safe from the leeches."

We sat around the fire for another half an hour, reliving the attacks by the vamps that we had destroyed. It was like sitting in the winning team's locker room after a big victory by the underdogs. We were all pumped about the battle and that we had made it look easy to take out so many leeches.

I caught a few wary glances from Sam. He could tell that Paul was still barely holding it together and that his slip was going to bite him in the ass. I squeezed Paul's hand again, hoping that he'd be able to control himself enough to just let Sam apologize and let it go. His harsh breathing and firm grip told me otherwise.

I unintentionally let out a yawn and Paul looked over at me.

"Did you want to go home and get some sleep, babe?" Paul's expression was void of fury for just a moment as he showed his concern for me.

"I'm fucking beat. I think I need to crash." I stretched out my arms and took in a big breath that pushed out my chest and raised the hem of my t-shirt just a little, enough to make a sliver of my stomach peek out.

The succession of sounds I heard next was more terrifying than the battles we had just won. First, I heard a deep voice say "damn." Then I heard a huge gasp of air being sucked in through clenched teeth. I heard a deep growl from across the fire and another from next to Paul.

Before I could process that the "damn" came from Sam, the gasp from Paul, the first growl from Seth, and the second from Jared, the boys were already ripping off their clothes and throwing them down, preparing to phase and fight over me. The growls bellowed from deep within them and I was sure that someone was going to die if they really started to fight. I couldn't believe they were really going to do this. My stomach turned and I started screaming as loudly as I could.

"Fucking STOP IT, all of you! I'm not a FUCKING piece of MEAT! This is crazy- fighting won't solve anything! JAKE, HELP ME!"

Before I could even finish screaming for Jake's help, Sam, Paul, Seth and Jared had already phased. My eyes were filled with hot, furious tears and I looked at Jake, begging for his help.

"Leah, I can't phase yet! Guys, phase and don't let them kill each other. Do it now!"

Jake's Alpha command was heard by all of us, and even though Sam and Paul were already at each other's throats, they hesitated long enough to allow the rest of us to phase.

Quil, Embry, Brady, Colin and I had just enough time to phase after Jake's command and to get between Sam and Paul. Jared was on Paul's right side, backing his close friend and my little brother was on Paul's left, which shocked me a little. I never thought Seth would be backing up Paul on his own free will.

_WHAT THE FUCK, SAM? I'm going to rip out your fucking throat! Did you lose your FUCKING MIND?_ Paul was screaming so loudly in our heads, I was afraid to even say anything.

_God, Paul, please forgive me. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, honestly. I don't want to be with Leah. It's just, I don't know._ Sam was pleading, desperately searching for Paul's forgiveness.

_Paul, dude, don't kill him, you'll regret it._ Jared. I was so glad that the pack was all here, or Sam would already be dead.

_What is it gonna take, Sam? Do I have to tell Emily that you can't stop drooling over LEAH? How do you think THAT'S going to play out?_ Paul was sinking low quickly. We all flinched when we thought about Emily. Sam had hurt her once before, scarring her face for life, and we all knew how much that pained him.

_NO, please Paul, don't! I'm so sorry, but please don't hurt Emily._ I'd never seen Sam actually scared. It made me so nauseous. I was really feeling sick about being caught in the middle of this bullshit.

_Fuck you, Sam. Get Leah out of your FUCKING head before I rip it off. I swear to God, I will destroy you, you asshole._ Paul was still absolutely furious. I pushed my way through the pack and ducked my head under Paul's chin. I was doing whatever I could to try and calm him down.

The pack mind pushed through all of the memories that we'd been avoiding. Embry remembered how mad Paul was when Sam had thought of me naked. Seth's thoughts flashed to me crying and vomiting after Sam had left me for my cousin, absolutely destroying me. Sam's pain couldn't be contained any longer and his thoughts flashed to the day he had imprinted on Emily and knew he had to leave me. Paul's thoughts were recalling how he'd felt after he imprinted on me, sick to his stomach for all of the times he'd hurt me in the past. All of the painful memories brought back the nightmare I'd been trying to ignore. My mind flashed to an image of Sam's throat ripped out by a leech because he'd tried to protect me, his blood pouring out all around me, and me screaming in agony.

Everyone stopped their individual painful memories and focused on mine.

_Leah, what the fuck was that?_ Paul was suddenly concerned, distracted from the fight in front of him.

_A nightmare. I don't know what it means, but it scared the shit out of me._ I had to be honest. There was no lying involved when you shared a pack mind.

_It means Sam has a quality you don't have but you need in your life._ Quil spoke up for the first time.

_How do you know that?_ I thought about that for a minute. What did Sam have that I didn't?

_I read dream interpretations online. It's pretty interesting. _Hmm, that's pretty weird, but it really had me thinking and the boys were thoroughly distracted from fighting anymore.

_Why don't we all just phase back and talk? I don't want to see death anymore. Please, guys? For me?_ I'd never used my feminine sweetness on the pack when we were phased, and I was really shocked when it actually worked.

All at once, the boys phased back to human form, carefully covering themselves until they could get their shorts. I walked behind the trees and Paul came over and brought me my clothes.

I phased and reached out for my t-shirt and shorts.

"Paul, I love you. Please don't hurt Sam. We're all in pain and I don't want this to make it worse." Against my will, I was fucking tearing up again. I was really turning into a big baby.

Paul grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest, wrapping around me in a warm hug.

"I won't hurt him, but only for you. I'm still fucking pissed off and it's gonna be a while before I really let it go." Well, that was better than nothing. I couldn't really ask much more of him.

Paul released me from his hug, slid his hand down my arm and held my hand tightly. I knew sitting down with the pack and talking openly and honestly was going to be incredibly awkward and difficult, but it had to be done. We needed to work together and the only way we could really do that was if we trusted each other completely.

My mind was racing thinking about what Quil had said. What did Sam have that I wanted? Why was that thought making my head ache? Would Paul really be able to keep it together long enough for us to all have a deep conversation? God, I hope so.

We walked back to the circle, catching the tail end of Quil explaining everything to Jacob, who was thoroughly out of the loop because he'd been unable to phase and share the pack mind for so long.

"…and then Leah's nightmare made everyone shut up, so we're here to talk it all out."

Jake turned his head slowly and looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. We were never really close. He had always just kind of ignored my like the rest of the pack because every time they looked at me (or thought about me when we were phased) I would go ballistic. Most of the guys had gotten used to the fact that I was Paul's girlfriend now, but the news just reached Jake for the first time a few moments ago and his disbelief was obviously displayed on his face.

"Paul, really? Leah's your imprint?" Jake's question did not have a hint of sarcasm or negativity. He was honestly asking the question so that he could understand.

"She is." Paul's simple answer still warmed my heart as much as it had the first time he told me that he was all mine. I turned and smiled at him and didn't even realize that I had a huge stupid grin on my face when he threw his strong arm around my shoulders.

"Damn, Leah, I've never seen you so happy." Jake's simple observation made me blush. I was still a little uncomfortable with the attention that being in love brought me. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked over at my new Alpha.

"Thanks, Jake. I am happy." Surprisingly, Jake was smiling widely back at me. I furrowed my brow, a little confused how someone who had been in so much pain less than an hour ago could be wearing an expression that seemed so genuinely pleased.

"So what's the problem, then?" Jake's question was for the pack, not just for me. He looked around at the boys who were still breathing hard and wearing pensive expressions. Seth was glaring at the ground, angry with Sam for his behavior but too intimidated to actually speak up his frustration. Paul shot a hard look at Sam and Jared moved to stand next to us.

Quil was the first one to speak. "Paul's pissed at Sam for thinking about Leah. Jared's mad at Sam because Paul is. Seth is angry with Sam because he hurt his sister. Leah's frustrated because all this crap is happening around her. Right?"

Quil looked around the circle with his hands up in the air like he was surrendering. I giggled, a little to myself at first, and then my giggle turned into a full belly laugh. Paul and Jared started to chuckle, and then the entire pack erupted into hysterical laughter.

Tears streamed down all of our faces as we realized that Quil's simple explanation was enough to get us all over our anger.

Sam apologized one final time and Paul finally realized that his overreactions were unnecessary. Sam was clearly in love with Emily and the only reason he'd been thinking about me again was because I was with Paul now.

Quil looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Leah?"

I was still laughing and catching my breath. "Yeah, Quil?"

"What's up with that dream you had? I'm curious." His question brought me back to reality. I started to think about what I might be missing in my life that made me dream about Sam.

"Um, I don't know? Maybe it's something to do with his level of control? I'm still not really sure."

Paul was looking at me when I mentioned Sam's level of control. He winked at me and just then I realized that whatever control I thought I was lacking in the past, I now had firmly by the balls. I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted with Paul. I would never have to be meek, sit quietly in the back of the room, or pretend to be something I wasn't. Our relationship was going to be everything I'd always dreamed of and more.

* * *

**A/N I swear to all my lovely readers that I am trying to update soon, but I have a seriously painful wrist injury and it makes typing very difficult :( Please know that I am NOT quitting on this story and I actually have two or three other fic ideas bouncing around in my head. As soon as the doctor can tell me what the hell is wrong with my wrist, I WILL be writing again!**

**Hugs and kisses!**

**WolfGirlAtHeart  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

I was sprawled out on my bed staring at the ceiling and waiting for the phone to ring or for a knock at the front door. Surprisingly, life hadn't really changed much since the explosive pack meeting. We were still running patrols, just three at a time now and we kept a tighter perimeter. Sam was keeping in touch with Dr. Cullen, informing the pack with daily updates of the Cullen's current location. First they were in Boise, then Cheyenne, then Omaha. Apparently they were making their way across the continental U.S. following Edward and Bella's trail. Although I found it hard to care about Bella, I was kind of glad to find out that she was still human. I know I'd rather die than become a vampire. If the news came back that she had been turned, I don't know how we'd react. Jake filled his role as Alpha effortlessly and had healed enough to finally start phasing again. He had somehow managed to control his thoughts about Bella when he was phased. In fact, he controlled almost _all_ of his thoughts when he was phased. I was impressed. Maybe it was the gift of the Alpha wolf; the uncanny ability to guard his thoughts from the pack in order to lead better. I guess that made sense.

I let my mind wander for another minute before I rolled over on my bed and checked my phone for the seventh time in the last 15 minutes. I was bored, but I really didn't want to get up and start doing something because I knew that as soon as I did, Paul would show up and I would completely forget what the hell I was doing anyway. He was supposed to be wrapping up his tour around 5 pm and it was already 4:30 pm, so I didn't have too long to wait. Neither of us had patrol duty tonight and Paul had promised to take me out on a proper date. I thought he was being silly because it was so obvious that we were together and he loved me, but he insisted. Who knew "asshole Paul" could be such a hopeless romantic?

I giggled to myself thinking about Paul and his goofy ways. In this time that we had spent together I was really able to see who Paul actually was and not the tough guy front he put on for everyone. I sighed and dragged my nails across my stomach. I hadn't seen Paul since yesterday morning and I was already feeling the pulses of desire coursing through my veins again. The sex was un-fucking-believable and I had never been so aware of what was happening in my body until I was with Paul. He ignited a fire inside of me that burned like a wildfire across the plains.

I looked at my phone again, just for good measure, and decided that I had enough time to get a shower before Paul came to pick me up. Seth was screaming at the television again, so wrapped up in Call of Duty I probably could have punched him in the face before he even knew I was in the room. Mom was out shopping or something. I grabbed a towel from the hall closet and locked the bathroom door. I spent the next minute poking at my face in the mirror while the water heated up. I looked down at my phone again. Still nothing. I went back to the mirror, this time checking my eyebrows, teeth, nose and hair. Everything looked normal and the same as always. I pulled my shorts off, yanked my t-shirt over my head and went back to the mirror. I pushed my chest out and smiled a little at my perky breasts. Even though I hated that they were the cause of a lot of shit among my pack, I thought they were really pretty. I poked at my belly button and absently wondered what would happen if I had a piercing there when I phased. It would probably rip out and be a waste of pain and cute jewelry.

I looked at my phone again and saw I had a new text message. I grinned when I read it.

_I love you, Leah. Be there in 20. xoxo Paul._

I squeezed my thighs together in anticipation of seeing Paul…and kissing him…and touching him…and…DAMN, I was so worked up just from a text. I quickly wrote back.

_I love you, Paul. Getting a shower. ;) See you soon…_

I stepped into the shower and let the hot water rush all over my tingling body. I washed my hair quickly, still squeezing my thighs together tightly. I slapped conditioner in my hair, washed my body like it was a race and grabbed the shower head. I rinsed off all of the soap and conditioner and let the water rush over my throbbing clit. I dragged my nails up the skin on the inside of my thigh and shoved a finger deep inside myself. I bent over and gasped, quickly bringing myself to a moaning orgasm. God, I hope Seth didn't hear that. I sucked in big gasps of air until I slowed my breathing enough to get out of the shower and dry off.

I leaned over and read the text on my phone.

_OMFG, make it 10._

I laughed out loud and hurriedly rushed to my room to get dressed. Damn was I grateful that Paul had taken me shopping. If it wasn't for the clothes he bought me, I'd be wearing the same stupid t-shirt and dirty cut offs every day.

I grabbed a pretty top that had some rhinestone embellishment and a pair of dark jeans. I didn't bother with a bra. I knew if I didn't wear one Paul would notice and it would make him want me even more. I decided to be daring and wear my red high heels. I knew Paul wouldn't leave the shoes unnoticed. It still shocked the hell out of me that he knew about fashion.

I swept a bit of lip gloss across my lips and heard a knock on the door. Seth was still yelling at his stupid game so he didn't even look up when Paul opened the door and let himself in. I rushed out of my bedroom and my eyes nearly flew out of my head.

Even though I saw Paul every day now, I still couldn't get used to seeing him dressed up. He was clearly wearing some designer someone-or-other. I couldn't even form a rational thought. His jeans were dangerously low on his hips and his perfectly tailored shirt hugged the curves of his body so beautifully my mouth went slack. My audible gasp made Paul's lip twitch up into that wickedly sexy smirk that kindled the flames inside of me.

He laughed loudly and took three big steps toward me and reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear and wrap his other arm around my waist.

"Hey, beautiful. Did you miss me?" Paul whispered into my ear before he pressed his hot mouth against my neck, rendering me completely useless.

"Uh-huh." Was all I could mumble as his hands wandered across my back and settled right above the curve of my ass.

"Come on, Leah, where's the fire in you, woman? You act like you've never seen me before."

I finally shook my head and put both hands on Paul's chest and shoved him back just a little.

"Whatever, Paul. You're okay, I guess." I answered coyly.

"You guess? Looks like I'm taking Seth out to dinner then." He joked as he jerked his head in Seth's direction. Seth was still jumping around the room screaming at the television. He looked like a crazy person.

"Are you telling me you'd rather spend the evening with my crazy ass brother than me? And you're into fashion? Is there something you aren't telling me, love?" I grinned at him, squeezed his hips and twisted my mouth up into a smug little smile.

"Oh, you really are still evil, aren't you?" Paul growled in my ear and sent shivers down my spine.

"I try, baby."

"Let's go. I'm starving, babe." Paul wiggled out of my embrace, grabbed my hand and headed for the door.

"See ya later, Seth." I called over my shoulder and Seth just nodded in my direction.

Paul held open the door to his Chevelle and patted me on the butt before I sat down. I shot him my bitchiest stare and set my jaw. He knew he'd get a rise out of me by doing that and he winked at me through the windshield as he made his way to the driver's side.

"Nice shoes, Leah." Paul winked again.

"I've heard people call them 'fuck-me pumps' but what do you think, baby? Do they say 'fuck me' to you?" I reached over to his lap and dragged my nails along his dark jeans.

"Leah everything about you screams 'fuck me' but I just wanna get you to dinner first, okay? Can we do that before I make you forget your name?" Paul squeezed my hand gently and placed it back in my lap. I stuck out my bottom lip, pouting a little in protest.

"Fine. But you'd better make good on that promise, Paul. If not I might rip your head off." I crossed my arms across my chest and smirked at him.

"Have I broken a promise to you yet? I don't even think it's possible." Paul's words melted me again. He was telling the truth, like always. I relaxed my arms and let the cool breeze from the window blow my hair against my cheeks.

We had a pretty nice dinner that included several courses, but all I could think about was Paul's tight, hot body that was hidden behind his designer clothes. I fantasized about ripping those clothes to shreds and devouring the beauty they were hiding. Between the main course and dessert Paul had apparently asked me a question that I had missed because I was so lost in my thoughts I wasn't really paying attention.

"Leah, did you hear what I just said?" I snapped my eyes back up to catch his narrowed stare. He was clearly a little annoyed with me but apparently a little amused, too.

"What the hell is up with you tonight? You haven't said more than 10 words since we got here."

My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to try and think of something cute or clever to say, but my brain left me with my mouth hanging open looking like a complete idiot. I finally managed to make a sound come out, but it didn't help my case.

"I, uhhh…" and I froze like a moron.

"Really? You didn't hear a single word?"

Paul's beautiful face twisted into a frown. He looked hurt and my heart broke into pieces. I immediately tried to back pedal and apologize for being so distracted, although I found it a little funny that the reason I wasn't paying attention to Paul's words was Paul's body.

"Babe, please, really I'm sorry. It's just…I can't even think straight around you when I'm horny. You are seriously making me insane." I blushed a little, not because I told Paul I was horny, but because I was in a really decent restaurant and didn't want anyone to overhear our conversation.

"Leah, I was asking you if you wanted to move in with me." Paul's eyes dropped to the plate of cheesecake that was placed in front of him. He was clearly panicking and I wasn't helping matters by not paying attention to his questions. His hands began to tremble and I hated myself.

I was a terrible, terrible person. Here was this gorgeous, sweet, passionate, romantic man trying to have a serious conversation with me and all I could do was fantasize about his body.

"Oh, oh my God, I'm so sorry baby! Of course I'd love to move in with you! I love you. Please don't be mad at me for being so distracted. It's just…you are so damn hot it's hard to think or speak."

Paul's face lit up like the full moon on a clear night. The anxiety melted from me swiftly and even though I was still blushing I let my smile spread wide across my face and reached across the table to grab Paul's hand.

"Leah, I mean it. I want to be with you all the time. I don't want anything to get in the way. I've been saving some money from my modeling gig and I think we could find a nice little place on the rez. Are you sure?" Paul's face still had a tiny hint of worry.

"I am one hundred percent sure I want to move in with you. Now can we get out of here? I need you."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Move in together? Shit, why not Leah, you love this man, what the hell are you waiting for? Almost instantly my head was filled with images of a pretty little house with a perfect kitchen and Paul taking me in every position throughout the entire house without any attempt made to quiet my screams. I licked my lips and winked at Paul, hoping he'd finally give up this whole "date" thing and take me back to the little cabin so I could show him just how much I really wanted to move in with him.

Paul tore his eyes away from mine for just long enough to get the attention of the waiter, quickly paid the check and left a good tip. I smiled inwardly; glad to know that even though Paul wasn't rich, he never shorted a waiter.

Paul jumped up and pulled out my chair for me, offered his arm and escorted me out of the restaurant. When we reached his Chevelle, he again opened the door for me and waited until I was seated before closing the door.

Once Paul was settled in the driver's seat, he leaned over to me and nuzzled along my neck with his nose.

"God, Leah, you smell so fucking good. I can't wait to taste you." There he was. My hot, angry, sexy, incredible man was back, his words and hot breath ripping through my body like I was about to phase. He had me completely unhinged and hadn't even touched me. Fuck yes, it was on.

Paul drove like a maniac down the dark roads on his way to the beach and I was truly glad that he had superhuman sight. If I hadn't known that he could see everything I would have been terrified.

We reached the beach and Paul parked the car as close to the cabin as possible. I looked down at the ground and bent down to slip off my heels. Even exceptional balance couldn't keep heels from sinking into the soft earth.

"Keep them on." Paul growled against my cheek and had me in his arms so quickly I didn't even have a chance to protest. I threw my arms around his neck and nibbled on his ear as he rushed through the trees to the little cabin.

We reached the cabin in seconds and before I could even tell Paul to put me down so he could open the door, we were already inside and I was on the bed. He quickly lit the small oil lamp and the warm, flickering light danced across his high cheekbones and his wicked smile. I gasped when he pulled off his shirt as he made his way over to me on the bed. The connection we shared was so much stronger than just lust or love. It felt like every part of me was constantly aching to have him near me. He completed my heart and soul and I was never going to let anything get in our way.

He crawled up over me, sliding his knee between my legs and resting over me on his elbows. His gaze burned with desire and passion and the images of ripping off all of his clothes flashed through my mind again.

"Leah, I love you." I was never going to get tired of hearing that. I lifted my head off of the bed, pressed my lips to Paul's and whispered, "Paul, I love you, too."

We kissed sweetly for a minute or two before both of us became too excited to take it slowly. I pulled my shirt off and reached down to kick off my shoes and unbutton my pants, but Paul grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"I said keep them on." His eyes flashed with anger for just a second and he gently pushed me back down on the bed. He unbuttoned my pants and wiggled them off of me carefully but left the shoes on my feet. I looked at him a little puzzled and he answered my question before I could ask it.

"Yes, these are 'fuck-me' pumps and I'll be damned if I don't get to see them in action." Paul's strong hands reached up and gently removed my panties, brushing the back of his hand against my inner thigh as he pulled them down. He grabbed my left ankle and kissed the top of my foot and did the same with my right. I groaned as he kissed his way up my right leg, his fingers dancing up my left. He was moving so slowly I thought I might explode. I grabbed fistfuls of hair and held on. I knew better than to be demanding with Paul; he'd get there when he was good and ready.

Paul's tongue finally found my throbbing clit and I couldn't hold back any longer.

"Holy fucking SHIT!" I had lost all control of my brain. Paul's mouth kissed, licked and hummed all over me and I couldn't control myself. My hands grabbed at the sheets and my heels dug into the edge of the bed. Streams of obscenities poured out of my mouth uncontrollably and I finally came on Paul's face.

He reached over for a corner of the sheet and wiped the sweat and me off of his face.

"Leah, you are delicious. I could do that all night." Paul's deep voice made me clench in anticipation.

"I'd let you baby, but I need you inside me first." I gasped and watched my breasts rising and falling with every deep breath I took.

Paul stood up next to the bed and unbuttoned his jeans, letting them slide down his hips slowly. His rock hard erection was straining against his boxer briefs but he didn't move like he needed relief right away. He was fucking teasing me with it. Again.

"Paul, come here. Please?" I widened my eyes and turned on the sugary feminine charm. He winked at me, recognizing that I was desperate but still doing things on his own time. God, this man was going to be the death of me.

After what seemed like an eternity, Paul pulled off his boxer briefs and climbed back onto the bed. He reached down and slowly guided his erection into me. He moved with purpose. He eased himself slowly in and out, tilting his hips and grinding against my clit, working my body deliberately toward another huge orgasm. Moans came from deep within me and combined with Paul's powerful grunts as his thrusts and grinding brought me to a beautiful deep climax. I wrapped my legs around him, crossing my ankles behind his back. He climaxed inside me moments later, collapsing against my breasts.

"Thanks." I gasped breathlessly. "I needed that, baby. I love you."

"I love you, too." Paul growled against my heaving chest.

* * *

The next day, Jake called us all together for a pack meeting. Sam had just received an update from Dr. Cullen and he wanted us all to hear it together. I braced myself for the worst. I wasn't sure what the news would be, but I couldn't imagine that it would be good for any of us. We met up out in the woods where we could just phase and hear our thoughts. As annoying as that could be, it was incredibly useful when we had important news that needed to be shared immediately.

_Thanks, guys. Sam let them hear it. _Jake started us off. I shifted nervously on my paws.

_Dr. Cullen called this morning and said that Edward and Bella have decided to return to Forks. Apparently Bella wanted to see Charlie again and she convinced Edward that it would be okay._

_Fuck! _Paul growled loudly.

_Bullshit! _Embry cursed and pawed at the ground.

_This is gonna suck. _Seth spoke the truth.

_What the hell does he think is gonna happen? _Quil shouted his thoughts.

_Guys, easy. We need to have a plan. Sam, did Dr. Cullen give you a time frame? _Jacob was shockingly calm. I assumed he was guarding his thoughts again to protect us from the pain he must be feeling about Bella's return.

_Yeah, he said they should be back the day after tomorrow. _Dr. Cullen had warned Sam that Bella wasn't safe with Edward anymore. Sam gave us one final image from his mind that was terrifying. He flashed to the hiker that he had found after a vampire attack. The young man's body was sucked dry, but it was anything but neat. His neck and torso had been shredded open, exposing his collarbone, ribs and all the way down to the vertebrae. His skull was crushed and he barely looked human.

We collectively shuddered. That just could not happen to Bella. I'll admit it, she pissed me off a lot, but no one deserved to die that way. It was just too gruesome and horrible.

_We are running patrols four deep until they come back. Sam, Seth, Jared and I will take the first shift. Leah, Embry, Paul and Quil pick up the second shift. Brady and Colin I want you both on the rez on high alert. If you hear anything, I want a pack call. Let's go._

I trotted off behind a tree to phase and pulled on my shorts and t-shirt. Paul met me and grabbed my hand.

"This is going to be totally fucked, babe. I don't know what the hell we're going to do."

"Fuckin' tell me about it. She's gonna die." I shivered violently even though I wasn't cold and Paul pulled me close to him.

"Not if we can help it." He words were confident, but his tone was unsure.

Seth howled.

We phased immediately, shredding our clothes.

_What happened? What is it? Seth, what the hell? Are you okay? Shit. _All of our minds flooded at once. I knew from his thoughts that he wasn't hurt or in danger.

_I smelled a Cullen. They're close._


	11. Chapter 11

"Seth, it's just me. Please tell the pack not to attack. My family is here." Alice Cullen's tiny voice danced through the pack mind.

_Who's going to phase to talk to them? _I half-screamed my thoughts. I really didn't want any of us to phase because I was terrified that one of the Cullens would attack us. I never trusted them, vegetarians or not.

_I will._ Sam. He was comfortable enough to phase and talk to the vamps without fear.

_Okay, Sam. We have your back. Paul and Jared, I want you both next to Sam. I'm hitting the perimeter with Leah and Quil. The rest of you stay close to Sam. _Jacob's authority rang true through our minds, but I didn't have time to worry about leaving Paul with the vamps. It was time for me to shine.

I dug in deep, pushing my muscles harder than I had in weeks. My lungs filled easily and my intense senses picked up several new vampire scents. Cullen, Cullen, not a Cullen. What the fuck?

_Jake, who the hell is that?_

_I don't know. Let's go; you take left, I'll take right._

We ran around the perimeter and caught sight of a vampire we'd never seen before. It was a female with long blonde hair and golden eyes like the Cullens- a "vegetarian" vampire.

_Leave her, Leah. She's a veggie. Friend of the Cullens._

_Fuck that, Jake. I don't trust her._

_Don't make me pull rank, Leah. Leave it. Let's get back to Sam._

_Grr, I hate this. It feels wrong._

_I know; all this shit feels wrong. We just have to go._

We turned back and ran at full speed as we left behind the blonde vampire.

_Jake, Leah - Dr. Cullen said Edward and Bella are close. Really close - they should be here any minute from what Alice said._

This was going to end badly. There was no way Bella would be left unharmed. Edward was insane and everything was going to shit around us. I hated being surrounded by bloodsuckers. They made my nose burn and my hair stand on end.

_Leah, give it a rest. I know this sucks for all of us._

_Sorry, Jake. It's just hard to stay focused._

_Just try, please._

Jake and I ran up to where Sam was standing with the Cullens. They were all staring intensely at Alice who had her hands clenched on either side of her head, shaking it back and forth.

"No, no, no! He's going to hurt her. No, Edward!" Alice's voice sent shivers all over me.

I tilted my head to the side, hearing something far off in the distance. The entire pack shifted in that direction, knowing that this was going to happen no matter what we did.

Jake's mind was a locked box while all of us flooded the pack mind with thoughts of destroying vamps and injured humans. I could sense the pain Alice felt. I couldn't understand why a vampire would care so much about a stupid human girl, but those Cullens were a freaking strange bunch of vampires.

How the hell could I have ever known what would happen next?

We smelled them before we saw them. Bella was still human, but probably not for long. The vampire stench was burning through her blood and she was screaming furiously, writhing in Edward's tight grip. Edward's eyes were blazing red, the bloodlust filling him with a fury that was nearly impossible for him to control. Emmett and Jasper shifted uncomfortably, inching closer to Edward and the screeching Bella.

"Edward, put her down. You don't want to do this." Dr. Cullen spoke firmly but quietly, trying to calm Edward and get him away from Bella. She only had a few minutes if she was going to stay human.

"Please, Edward, please. You love her! You can't let this happen." Alice's sweet voice was screeching through my head, piercingly high-pitched.

My ears perked up at the sound of a vampire approaching from behind Edward. It was the blonde veggie vamp that Jake and I had seen before. She shocked all of us by slipping closely behind Edward, sliding her hands up his arms and pressing her face against his ear.

"Mmmm, Edward, let this little morsel go and let me remind you what it's like to be with a _real_ woman," she purred so loudly I thought the pack was going to lose it. The boys' thoughts went to places that made me nauseous. Jake gratefully pulled rank and shut them up, reminding them of Bella dying in front of his eyes.

Edward's bloodlust had apparently clouded his better judgement, and he dropped Bella like a sack of potatoes and turned to the blonde vampire, forcing his tongue into her mouth and wrapping his arms around her.

After a quick glance at Jake, and Jake's sharp nod, Dr. Cullen grabbed Bella from the ground and immediately began to suck out the venom.

The pack couldn't control the growls that ripped through us as we watched Dr. Cullen pull the venom from Bella's flailing body. Jake's thoughts were no longer guarded and we could all see him struggle with phasing and helping Bella, or staying wolf and destroying Edward.

Jacob's agonizing decision was made for him as the blonde vamp ran off with Edward in tow. Jacob furiously delivered an Alpha order for Quil and Jared to tail them through the woods so they couldn't get away. Once he knew they were being followed, Jake phased into human form, yanked on his shorts, and crouched down next to Bella.

"Bella! Bella!" Jake was shouting loudly, reaching toward Bella, but holding back until Dr. Cullen moved away from her.

Bella had stopped screaming and her breaths were coming in shallow pants. Dr. Cullen pulled back and glanced around at the panting wolves and his vampire family.

"She's going to be fine, Jacob." Dr. Cullen put Bella into Jacob's arms and he held her tightly against his chest. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. I never thought that I would ever see a vampire actually _help_ a human. Well, keep her human. A strong sense of relief washed over me, and even though I couldn't understand why Jacob loved her so much, I was glad that Bella was going to recover.

"Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, please go find Edward and Irina. He needs to be stopped before he hurts someone else. Alice, call Charlie and have him meet us at the house. Tell him Bella had a hiking accident, but that she will be fine. Esme and I will take care of her." Dr. Cullen calmly sent his family to complete their tasks and Jacob carried Bella back to the Cullen's house.

Sam stepped up and delivered the pack's instructions.

_Seth, Brady, Collin, and Jared, head back to the reservation and keep watch. Take turns and get some rest, too. Leah, Paul, Embry, and I will guard the Cullen house and keep watch for the return._

I shook out the dust that had settled in my fur and scratched my ear with my paw.

_I'm up. Who am I relieving?_

_Me. I need to crash. Paul and Embry are still up by the house. There's been no sign of the other Cullens. Charlie's here, now so be sharp. Thanks, Leah._

_You got it, Sam._

I arched my back and stretched out my legs, spreading my toes and warming up my muscles.

_Want me to do a lap, guys?_

_Sure, Leah. It's been pretty dead around here. Well, except for Bella and Charlie._

_Ha ha. So not funny, Em. I'll be back around in a minute._

I dug deep, breathing in all of the scents and listening to all the sounds surrounding me. I caught the scents of the Cullens, but they were fading away in the distance. They hadn't come back this way or I would definitely know.

I knew the worst of it was over. I was exhausted and I missed curling up with Paul and forgetting about all the wolf/vampire/treaty fighting over humans bullshit. I just wanted to go back to being a semblance of normal with my Paul. We were still running patrols, but Jake had backed off since Bella was safe and Edward ran off to Alaska with the blonde vamp.

I finally had a chance to sleep in my own bed, and I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of my rest. I pulled the shades down and shut off my alarms. I put a note on the door for mom so she wouldn't wake me, crawled into my bed, and yanked the covers over me. I slept dreamlessly for twelve hours. When I woke up, I felt like a new woman. I showered and got dressed and grabbed my phone.

Paul had sent me a text.

_Hey baby, I know you're sleeping, but I wanted to see if you'd want to look at an apartment when you wake up. Send me a text when you wake up. Love you._

My heart fluttered as I read the message, and I knew that things were going to change for the better. As long as I had my Paul, I would be just fine.

I sent a text to Paul, grabbed the keys to the Lincoln and headed to Paul's house. I wasn't sure where he was thinking about moving, but now wasn't the time to worry. We finally had a few hours to ourselves and didn't have to worry about all of the supernatural drama that was always swirling around us. For today we were just Leah and Paul, a devoted couple, looking for their first place on the reservation.

I parked the Lincoln in the driveway in front of Paul's house and took a quick glance in the rearview mirror, checking to be sure that I didn't have anything in my teeth. It seemed stupid, but little human things like food in your teeth could make you insanely happy when you'd spent the last month preparing and stressing about being in a war with vampires who were dead set on ripping you and your family to pieces.

I hopped out of the car and jogged up to the door, excited to have Paul all to myself for the day. The last few weeks had been exhausting, and we'd barely had a chance to be together let alone had time to talk about moving in together.

I had only tapped on the door once when it flew open, sending a rush of glorious scents rushing toward me.

"Leah! God, I missed you!" Paul bear tackled me and nearly took me down on the porch, but I stuck out my arm and caught the doorjamb and held us up.

I couldn't help the laughter that spilled out of me. He was so funny when he acted unabashedly in love.

I curled my mouth up to his ear and whispered, "I missed you, too, Paul. So much. I love you."

He shuddered a little as my breath tickled his ear and he responded, "I love you, too Leah. You hungry?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" I curled up the corner of my mouth and pushed us back into the house.

"My mom and my aunt couldn't resist when I said you'd be coming over. They've been cooking for the last four hours. I think they made enough food to feed the whole pack." Paul laughed into the crook of my neck and placed a kiss on my ear.

I whispered a tiny moan and said, "Later."

"Promise?"

"Oh, yeah. It's been way too long, baby."


End file.
